Tucson Citizen.com
Carolyn's Community - Our sense of group togetherness and "community" in Tucson

Giffords’ intern Daniel Hernandez Jr. on front cover of ‘n touch LGBT magazine

by on Jan. 28, 2011, under Life, Politics

21 year old University of Arizona political science student Daniel Hernandez Jr. is a gay “reluctant hero”, pictured on the February 2011 issue of ‘n touch, a LGBT news magazine published in Phoenix. This is their 79th issue covering current events and issues affecting the gay lesbian bi-sexual transgendered communities in Arizona.
Topic areas in the magazine cover Local News, Politics, Business, Feature Articles, Ethics, Pets, and Focus Tucson.

There’s an article on page 6 about Daniel, the brave intern of Congressmember Giffords’ office who courageously ran towards the shots on January 8, to assist Gabby. Apparently he cradled her head in his arms as he stopped the bleeding from her head wound, caused by gunfire from suspect Jared Lee Loughner. Daniel has been called a hero by many, and attended President Obama’s State of the Union address on January 25 in Washington, D.C. He also spoke at the Memorial service at the University of Arizona’s McKale Center on January 12. Daniel serves on the City of Tucson’s GLBT Commission and is LD 28 House Rep. Steve Farley‘s campaign manager.

Click here to read the online version of this issue.

Also in this issue is an update on Wingspan (on page 48) by Linda Thomas, program director. Wingspan LGBT advocacy center is mostly volunteer run now, and is located at 430 E. 7th Street (between 3rd and 4th Avenues), phone 520-624-1779, www.wingspan.org. They recently held a senior forum hosted by Pima Council on Aging, to provide information specific to LBGT seniors & their partners.

Wingspan provides an array of social and community services including

* Information and Referral Services provides information about local community resources, groups, activities and events.
* Anti-Violence Project offers crisis intervention and support services to victims of violence and education to the community about these issues.
* Eon Youth Program provides emotional support, social and educational activities, substance abuse prevention, homeless services, and leadership training to youth ages 13-23.
* Health and Wellness provides outreach and information to community members on health disparities while training health providers on LGBT cultural competency issues.
* Senior Pride offers peer-support and social and recreational opportunities for LGBT seniors while also educating service providers about the specific needs of this population.
* Southern Arizona Gender Alliance offers information, support services and social opportunities for transgender people while educating businesses and health and human services providers about transgender issues.
* Advocacy and Public Policy engages the LGBT and allied community in grassroots, community-based social action while strengthening community coalitions and collaborations.
* Puertas Abiertas (Open Doors) provides social and outreach programming that promotes positive awareness for Latino LGBT people.
* Wingspan FilmFest shows high-quality LGBT-themed films representing the diversity of our community that otherwise would not be screened in Southern Arizona.
* Community Space including a free lending library, computer center, and meeting rooms.

Also on page 47 of this February issue are photos of Tucsonans at the Wingspan Night Thing Party on New Year’s Eve, 2010. I recognized Mayor Bob Walkup and his wife Beth, LD 29 Rep. Matt Heinz, Pima County deputy attorney Brad Holland, Southern Arizona Aids Foundation Executive Director Wendell Hicks, and lots of other revelers.

This magazine advertises itself as “Your LGBT News Authority”, and is complimentary on newstands in Tucson and across Arizona. For more information contact Editor/publisher Gina Read at info@ntouchaz.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 28th, 2011 at 8:52 am and is filed under Life, Politics. Tags for this post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

RSS feed for this post (comments)
  • fraser007

    How about a magazine cover for the two men who, knowing they were going to be killed….ran to the shooter and grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground? And the woman who jumped in a second later and grabbed his magazine to denied him more ammo. True heros.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Yes, very true Fraser007, those men and woman who overcame shooter Loughner on January 8 deserve to be on magazine covers as well.

      • JoeS

        Sadly they were also given short shrift IMO at the “memorial”,  while this man rightly IMO,  got to sit next to the President the others seemed to be a good ten rows back and only one of the three mentioned by name.

        Mccain,  Pelosi,  and some others could have made room up front….

        While Mr. Hernandez is being credited with saving Gabby,  the selfless actions of the other three likely save many others.  They ran TO the “sound of the guns”….not an easy task…

        The truth of the matter is,  he is being groomed for a slot in the corporation, so managing his exposure is important.

  • Robert Rowley

    Fraser and Carolyn, you are both spot on yet off topic. This is an article about Daniel, a true hero who, despite knowing what was going on, still ran into the middle of it to try to help where possible and ended up saving his boss and friends life. While Bill and the other gentleman and Lady did the same this article is not about them. They are all true heros.

    There were many heros that day and this is the reason we need to build a permanent memorial to both the victims and to Daniels, Bill and the others who ended Loughners insanity and saved lives.

    • Carolyn Classen

      I agree Robert, which is why I posted this blog because I think Daniel is a real hero, though a reluctant one.  And our community does need to build permanent memorials to remember the victims and heros of January 8, 2011.  I’ve been to the 3 current memorials at the NW Safeway, Giffords’ district office, and UMC several times.  Thanks for commenting.

  • http://TheWorkingCircle.com Dr. Diane Katz

    There is no end to who the heros are. God bless them all.

  • pattie

    this was a GLBT magazine, that is why he was focused. I think all the people should be recognized for what they did that day-they did it with out thought , there are always angels among us…some left us that day, other ones were touched, inspired or just did what they did  with out thinking, or they will say it ‘s their job .

  • sdua

    What does being gay have to do with anything? Nothing…

    Good work Daniel.

    A great human that doesn’t deserve to be milked because of this sexuality.

    • fraser007

      Then why is he being made a poster boy.

      • tiponeill

        >Then why is he being made a poster boy
        What’s your problem with that ?

        • fraser007

          Because the other three people mentioned above threw themselves into the shooter knowing that they could have been shot. Knowing that and still running at the shooter means you are a hero.
          The six dead are true heros.
          The 12 or more wounded are heros.

          He is being used by others for agendas and doesnt even know it, or maybe he does?

          • tiponeill

            >He is being used by others for agendas and doesnt even know it, or maybe he does?
            Interesting – can you tell us more about these secret “agendas” ?
            Do you feel a plot against you ?

    • Ernie McCray

      His being gay, perhaps, shouldn’t have to do with anything but I think in a homophobic world, it’s nice to see a young gay man pointed out for having done something commendable.
      Some young gay child or adult for that matter just might find him or herself feeling uplifted and belonging after reading such a positive article. Someone may have exited the closet after this story.
      It shows that gay people are just human beings like everyone else. That’s not always taken into consideration.

      • Carolyn Classen

        Very true Ernie, this is still a homophobic world and the Arizona & Tucson gay community is embracing Daniel’s heroism.  If any of you doubt that there is still a long way to go for gays/lesbians’ civil rights, just read the hateful, intolerant comments online here and also on the Arizona Daily Star’s website.

  • Standing By No More

    Fraser 007 He is not being made a poster boy.  He is an individual who happens to be gay.  He is a hero.  Carolyn, why then did you post the cover and not delve into the article about him.  Also you failed to mention Carolyn about Tucson’s LGBT newspaper that has been around since the 1970′s and still is printing.  What was the point?

    • Carolyn Classen

      The point was to highlight n’touch magazine (published in Phoenix) and that they include a Focus Tucson section about Wingspan, and other local LGBT events and people.

  • Standing By No More

    So does the Observerweekly newspaper Carolyn, online and around since the 1970′s.  This paper helped lead to the passage of the anti-discrimination ordinance in 1977 -in the wake of the murder of the 21 year old man; changing the opinion on AIDS -resulting in funding by the City of Tucson for TAP, Shanti and PACT (now SAAF), leading to Tucson’s hate crimes ordinance and Arizona’s as well, the extension of benefits to the domestic partners of city, county and state employees.  It is interesting your space on the Interwebs is called a community.  By chance being the long-time Tucsonan you are, have you been to Sunset Park to see the Richard Heakin memorial, the 21 year old man murdered in 1977 by three youths looking for fags to hassle?  This was created and funded by the LGBT community of Tucson.

  • alohapuna

    It’s too bad the whole conversation has become convoluted. The column is about a gay person featured in a magazine targeted to a gay readership who acted very calmly and courageously in a chaotic situation. It would be very natural too were it a black person featured in a magzine with a mainly black readership.
    The term hero today is used so loosely in so many situations it has almost lost its real meaning. With all due respect to the following, being a member of the armed forces, deployed or even an unwilling victim of a disaster does not necessarily make one a hero.
    Daniel Hernandez Jr. and the others all expemplify what a true hero is, one who acts in a life threatening situation to help others with little or no regards for their own life or safety.
    The best possible tribute is living our lives  as well as we can with love and caring for ourselves and others.

    • Ernie McCray

      Amen, amen, and amen, alohapuna. Love for ourselves and others is an essential key to any social progress.

    • sb0826

      Thank you alohapuna for refocusing the conversation. And than you Daniel for being a true mensch.

  • Kathy

    Carolyn, thank you for writing about Daniel’s being recognized by the magazine.  What a bright, articulate young man he seems to be.    I think it only makes sense that a gay publication would do a story on him.  It is not disrespectful of the other heroes of that tragedy.  That community honored one of their own.  The local TV and newspapers have featured many stories about the brave people involved.  Maybe a gun magazine would write about the young man who came out of the drug store and did not fire his weapon because he didn’t have a safe shot.  He helped restrain the suspect.  An article about him would not disrespect Daniel, would it?

    • Ernie McCray

      I don’t think it’s ever disrespectful of anyone when someone is honored for something special they’ve done. Sometimes people who deserve recognition are ignored but whoever is recognized is not responsible for that.
      The city itself has been heroic, standing tall, remembering the fallen and the wounded and committing itself, I hope, to creating something worthwhile out of the tragedy.
      And Carolyn will highlight it, whatever it is.

  • http://www.ntouchaz.com Gina Read

    I have watched the comments and felt that as the editor of ‘N Touch Magazine I would give the readers of Carolyn’s Community insight as to why I put Daniel Hernandez Jr. on our cover. Even though we saw the worst that day, we also saw the best. There were many that horrific day who were heroes, some even lost their lives trying to protect others.

    So why Daniel? Was it because he was the first gay hero? No. I volunteered with gay youth and their allies at a Phoenix non-profit (1n10.org) for over 12 years. In that time I saw gay/lesbian youth who were brave, standing up for themselves and others. BUT, what I also witnessed way to often were gay bashings. In that 12 years we lost at least 3 youth to bias related murders. A few years ago I saw a documentary on men who were serving time for killing gay men. Every single one of these murders said they targeted gay men because they perceived them as being weak. That is a stereotype we cannot afford. If by putting Daniel on the cover helps to change that then ‘N Touch has been a responsible community partner. And by community partner I mean the greater community, not just the gay community.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks Gina for your insight about why you as the editor chose Daniel for the front cover of the Feb 2011 ‘n touch issue.  I appreciate your comments and for permission to reprint your cover issue here on my blogsite.

  • Kathy

    thanks, Gina.  I hope your message gets out there.  Stereotypes are ridiculous, no matter whom we’re stereotyping.

«
»