Sexilio and the San Francisco's Queer History

The screening of Sexilio (work-in-progress) was the closing event of the exhibition Would You Be Caught Dead in That Outfit?, which celebrates the legendary intergenerational histories of TransLatinas on San Francisco’s 16th Street.

As the Pacific Felt Factory highlights, this exposition was curated by artists Julián Delgado Lopera and Rebeka Rodriguez. Part installation, part archival project, the stunning visual collection centers on the lives of transgender Latin American immigrants and their contribution to the fabulous fabric of San Francisco’s queer history. It was also the result of a c collaboration with El/la Para Trans Latinas, the GLBT Historical Society and AIRSF.

Among them, were also the contributions of Adela Vázquez and Nelson D'Alerta, two of the queer Cuban refugees that came to the States during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980. The cultural contribution of D'Alerta and his drag character, Catherine White, are manifested in the oral histories published by SF Weekly as well as in the documentary film.

In photographs and through journals, Would You Be Caught Dead in That Outfit Tells TransLatinas histories through a prism of the creative party aesthetic beating with life on 16th Street. Outfits, dress-up, and the joy of putting together something extravagant and daring on the body, and walking into the club to be seen, recognized, and celebrated by the community are at the heart of this project.

According to Delgado and Rodríguez Would You Be Caught Dead in That Outfit? / ¡Qué Perra Mi Amiga! will be donated to the GLBT Historical Society where it will live in perpetuity - serving as an archive of the rich contributions of TransLatinas to San Francisco's vast transgender history.