Full Bloom: Start with water!
April Newsletter
Water is such an important part of growth for so many living organisms. For many of us, the pandemic pushed us to take the leap and become plant parents. We learned about water intake and for some of our plants, types of water to use. Humans are very much like plants. We need all the right elements to help us grow strong. Water is an essential part of life and this is why we attributed our Spotify playlist to all songs that have to do with water. Below, LEA also wrote some tips for all the plant parents, a great plant shop to visit, a Netflix must-watch, and a thank you to one of our donors that help LEA reach its potential!
Plant Technology:
Indoor plants are beneficial in several ways. They help with stress relief, can be therapeutic, and may even improve the quality of indoor air. As many of us have recently adopted plants or are debating whether to adopt some, plant care can be a bit intimidating at first! If you’re unsure about how well you will be as a plant parent, some hard-to-kill options are pothos, aglaonema, jade plant, asparagus fern, spider plants, and aloe vera. Many of these plants are able to survive if forgotten about but are also okay if they are overwatered. If you’re really interested in how much water your plant baby needs, you can purchase a soil meter that reads the moisture level of the soil your plant is in. This can help you determine whether it’s time to water it or give it some more rest time. May your journey of plant parenthood go well, and if not…buy a new one to replace it. Buy Moisture Level Reader Here!
LGBTQ+ LEA Scholarship Opportunity:
Secure your bag and apply for the Latino Equality Alliance LGBTQ+ Youth Scholarship! This scholarship is open to high school seniors going into college or youth college students. Fill out the application today and turn in your essay and letter of recommendation later. The deadline for the application is Friday, April 9th! Click Here To Apply!
Monthly Donor Recognition
Aaron Saenz
Latino Equality Alliance would like to send a special thank you to Aaron Saenz for demonstrating outstanding leadership within the Latinx LGBTQ community. Aaron wears multiple hats as a teacher, board member for the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center, and volunteers with LEA. Aaron offers LEA his life-long and teaching expertise without expecting anything in return. Aaron’s feedback has been instrumental in the launch of our Platica with LEA and Series of Empowerment Charlas with LGBTQ educators. We are very grateful to have such an admirable, loving, and energetic human being who is always willing to help others, especially our staff. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Aaron!
This Months Beats
Featured Artist: J Balvin
Song: Agua
J Balvin is a Colombian reggaeton artist who has quickly risen to fame and is among some of the most influential Latino artists. The song we featured on this month’s playlist, Agua, uses the Spongebob theme song as its beat and is hard not to dance to. Balvin uses his platform to support the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and bring awareness to mental health conditions. He is known for speaking up for these communities frequently and even in his award acceptance speeches. When he accepted the award for Artist of the Year at Premios Los Nuestro, Balvin said, “I invite you to get out of the box, be yourself. If you have blue hair, pink, yellow; if you have a broken tooth, if you have other sexual preferences … Be yourself, fight for your happiness always.” As an artist and an advocate, J Balvin is definitely putting in the work so go listen to his music and dance!
Mark your calendars!
Every Friday — Pride Pantry Sign up here!
Sat. April.3 — City Clean-up Sign up here!
Thur. April. 22 — Series of Empowerment Charlas: LGBTQ Teachers RSVP:bit.ly/lgbtqteachers
LA Business
Name: Latinx with Plants
Where: 2900 E. Cesar Chavez Ave Los Angeles
Instagram: @latinxwithplants
Andi Xoch is the founder of Latinx with Plants and opened up her shop last year in August 2020. She began with pop-up events and became so popular that she opened up a business in her community after seeing a scarcity of plant shops. The pandemic had left people in search of life and coping strategies and many people began searching for living plants. Buying a plant from her is the way to go. The shop’s Instagram shows that Xoch believes in community, encourages mask-wearing, supports street vendors, and supports equality for all. Make an appointment and visit her shop for your very own caladium, monstera deliciosa, or begonia maculata. For the newbies, these are all plants, not magic spells, although plants can be very magical.
Netflix Show Review: The Magicians
To all my queer folks out there wondering what show to watch, The Magicians is a must-watch show!
The Magicians is an American fantasy television series that aired on Syfy and is now on Netflix. The Magicians follows the story of six friends [Quentin Coldwater, Penny Adiyodi, Alice Quinn, Julia Wicker, Eliot Waugh, and Margo Hanson] who enroll at Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy to be trained as magicians. It is in Brakebills where they discover that Fillory, a magical world that only exists in a book, is actually real and poses a danger to humanity. The series touches on topics rooted within LGBTQ culture such as orgys, polyamory, and party culture. What makes this show a must-see is the intensity of the drama!
My favorite characters are Eliot and Margo whose friendship was a constant struggle for the faculty. Elliot is a gender-fluid talented Magician and eventually becomes the High King of Fillory. Eliot grew up in rural Indiana, where he was tormented due to his sexuality and discovered his magical abilities when he accidentally killed his high school bully by using telekinesis! After moving away from his family, Eliot was invited to attend Brakebills University of Magical Pedagogy, where he met Margo. Margo is a strong-willed woman who is rude, free-spirited, and in every way is considered a b*tch. In Season 4, Episode 10, Margo is sent off to an impossible task to save her best friend Elliot. It is there where she gives her legendary speech:
“I’m a king. Not a goddamned princess, a king.” -Margo and the Talking Lizard
Spoiler Alert! ………………..Margo eventually becomes High King of Fillory.
WRITTEN BY
Latino Equality Alliance
The mission of Latino Equality Alliance (LEA) is to advocate for equity, safety, and wellness for the Latinx Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer + community.
