Community leader builds Day of the Dead altar to honor forgotten LGBTQ lives
Festivities began Friday for Dia de los Muertos -- or Day of the Dead, with those who celebrate preparing altars to honor family members who have passed.
At the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco, there's a special altar built to honor lives often left behind.
Angel Fabian, a respected two-spirit leader in the Bay Area, designed the altar. He was carefully arranging photos, flowers, and candles on the altar. Fabian's mission is deeply personal -- to ensure that LGBTQ lives, often forgotten in life, aren't forgotten in death.
"Knowing that many of them have fled home, lived in secret, lived double lives. And their family members never found out who they were; what beautiful, gorgeous, amazing, talented, kind, and generous people they were," Fabian said, reflecting on the importance of honoring those who were marginalized even after they passed.
The tradition of Día de Muertos holds that souls of the departed return on November 2nd, guided back to the living by the altars their families build. But without a photograph, spirits are left wandering, unable to find their way home.
"It's so important for chosen family to exist," explained Fabian, stressing the importance of the LGBTQ community creating spaces of belonging and remembrance. "For many folks, chosen family signifies our survival. If we transition, we have the opportunity still to acknowledge them, to let folks know that their lives matter."
This altar is particularly significant for LGBTQ individuals who may have lost connection with their biological families or whose stories were hidden. For them, this space becomes a bridge, a place where their chosen family and allies can celebrate and remember their lives.
"For many LGBTQ members in our community, they are forgotten, rejected. And many times after death, their families sometimes do not respect the wishes that they had," said Martina Ayala, director of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. "What this altar does is ensure we never forget them."
As Fabian places marigolds and candles around the altar, the display becomes more than a visual tribute. It tells the stories of LGBTQ community members, each a thread in the fabric of this sacred celebration. This remembrance is rooted in gratitude for those who came before.
"Gratitude for the foundation they laid for us to be able to be our authentic selves, and connection," Fabian said. "Because hopefully folks will know, if they identify as two-spirit or identify as LGBTQ, that someday when we transition, we will be remembered and honored in a good way."
In the heart of San Francisco's Mission District, this altar offers more than just a memorial. It's a homecoming, if only for a night, for those whose lives deserve to be remembered.