I am the Commission: Amelia Vega in coming from a typical Latino family but not being a typical girl herself.
Interview by Daniel Ravelo. Photography by Yanira Arias
Amelia Vega is a Counseling, Testing & Referral Specialist at the Commission. She visits places around New York City persuading people, and helping convince them, to get tested for HIV. Amelia was born in Honduras and moved to the United States recently. As she put it, she was born in a typical Latino family: "big in size, small in financial resources, but very solid." Amelia received a bachelor"s degree in business management from Universidad Tecnológica de Honduras. During her internship she founded the first LGBT organization in her town and later more achievements followed.
 What aspects of your childhood were instrumental in making you the person you are today?
Since I was a girl, I always tried to stand out and to excel. In many cases, it cost me a lot of effort because there were many obstacles but I tried again and again. That being said, perseverance and hard work were crucial in my childhood. Equally important was my family who accepted me and supported me during my transition process.
How did you get involved with the Latino Commission on AIDS?
In recent years I participated in some programs of the Commission such as "Para Ayudar" and "Mpowerment." In addition, I attended the annual conference "Reunion Latina" and there I saw the excellent work done by the agency. I remembered the similarity of the work I did in my country, defending the rights of disadvantaged people, so I saw the Commission as the perfect place to work at and help the community.
You lead the advocacy group Translatinas New York (TNY). What do you fight for? What are the biggest problems facing the transgender community?
Translatinas New York (TNY) was created in response to the needs of the transgender community such as police abuse, persecution, and hate crimes. TNY was created to promote and protect human rights of the transgender community and ensure the safety of its members through advocacy. TNY is also a safe space where members can help each other and by doing so improve their quality of life.
How widespread is HIV education and HIV testing in the Latino transgender community?
Currently the transgender community is one of the most vulnerable populations at high risk due to the lack of opportunities that exist for this population. Eighty percent (80%) of the community is linked to sex work due to lack of job opportunities and transphobia. In addition, the majority of transgender Latinas are immigrants without legal status so it is very difficult for them to access to medical services, housing and education. Therefore, talking about HIV prevention and HIV education can not be isolated from other issues, it needs to be connected to other major problems that the community faces.
I've heard you are a performer. What's it like being on stage? What has been the best performance of your life?
This is the part of my life I like the most. It is very difficult to describe exactly what it feels when I am on the stage. I can only say that it makes me very happy to entertain people and see them appreciate my talent. For me, performing is not a hobby but a career that I take seriously and put a lot of dedication and effort. It is not as easy as it sounds.
If you were born again, would you like to be born in the same body?
Definitely yes! Being a transgender woman is not easy but I think if I were born again as a girl, my life would be meaningless because thanks to the experiences of my life I've learned to value myself as a person and feel confident. If I were born again I'd like to be the way I am now because I have enjoyed each stage of my transition.
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