Guillermo Vasquez Corner

Guillermo Vasquez (1953-1996) was a leading gay rights, AIDS, and Latino community activist in Queens who emigrated from Colombia in 1972. A member of Queens Gays and Lesbians United, Vasquez would go on to serve on the board of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a statewide organization that advocated for LGBT rights. In 1993, he helped organize the first Queens Pride Parade as a member of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee and served as a translator for Spanish-speaking participants. Vasquez passed away due to AIDS-related complications in 1996.

The corner of 77th Street and Broadway was co-named “Guillermo Vasquez Corner” next to the site of the Love Boat, a former gay Latino bar where he educated the community about HIV/AIDS.

Sources:

Amanda Davis, "Guillermo Vasquez Corner," NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, 2018, https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/guillermo-vasquez-corner/

Breanna Bishop, “Jackson Heights street corner renamed after LGBT activist,” Metro, July 25, 2013, https://www.metro.us/jackson-heights-street-corner-renamed-after-lgbt-activist/

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