Staff

Jennicet Gutierrez (she/hers/ella)

Co-Executive Director

Jennicet Gutiérrez (she/hers/ella) is a transgender immigrant Latina from Tuxpan, Jalisco. She organizes nationally trans and queer Latinx and immigrant communities at the intersections of trans and queer rights, and migrant and racial justice. 

Francisco Cortes (he/him/él)

Co-Executive Director

Francisco Cortes is a queer Mexican immigrant from Philadelphia. For a decade, Francisco has passionately worked in LGBTQ youth development, HIV advocacy and immigrant rights work locally in Philadelphia and at the national level. Francisco is eager and energized to lead Familia:TQLM in our focus work. 

Luz Canela (they/all)

Design and Creative Strategist 

Luz worked extensively to change the narrative of migrants, indigenous, formerly or currently incarcerated communities through organizing, storytelling and the arts in Arizona. They played a key role in the communications strategy and implementation for the campaign ‘Bazta Arpaio’ campaign that unseat the Joe Arpaio racist sheriff of Maricopa County in 2016.

 Luz also runs La Raiz Design & Multimedia a collaborative space for them to work with healers, movement builders, artists and organizers through multimedia, illustrations and graphic design. They are currently the Design & Creative Strategist for Familia TQLM as of September 2020. 

Sol Jiménez Palacios (she/they)

Social Media and Narrative Creator 

Sol is a trans immigrant from Mexico City, a first-generation DACA recipient, and renowned makeup artist. They have coordinated local and national racial justice work, prioritizing transgender communities and Black trans women.They currently serve as the Social Media and Narrative Creator for Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, working to end trans detention. Sol holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from UC Berkeley.

Antonio Valenzuela (he/they)

Development and Operations Coordinator

Antonio joined Familia: TQLM in September 2022 as the Development and Operations Coordinator. They are based in Phoenix, AZ and call the Sonoran desert home. They envision a liberated future free of border imperialism, capitalism, the patriarchy, and climate catastrophe. In their free time they enjoy listening to new music, attending concerts, bike riding, and leaning into joy by traveling to cities with no set plan and finding new adventures each day.