The Last Page is dedicated to individuals who are making a positive impact on the LGBTQ community in Central Florida and Tampa Bay.
This issue, we check in with Orlando’s Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, new executive director of the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka. Keep an eye on this space to learn more about the movers and shakers of your community.
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Identifies As: Queer and Nonbinary
Pronouns: He/ Him/They/Them
Out Year: 2008
Profession: Executive Director, Hope CommUnity Center
Professional role model: Maria Rodriguez, former executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition
Autobiography Title: “Dreamers, Dream Big!”
Hobbies: Crossfit, working out, going to the beach, hiking trails, appreciating nature, hanging out with my beautiful husband Luis Sousa-Lazaballet and our puppy Cosito.
What do you do professionally?
I am the executive director of the Hope CommUnity Center, this incredible organization has existed for 50 years serving farmworkers and immigrants in Apopka and others across Central Florida. Additionally, Hope is an intersectional organization championing issues in the intersections of LGBTQ+, gender and racial justice.
I am the former LGBTQ+ Liaison for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. I am committed to continue my advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity in my current capacity in Apopka, Orlando and across our region.
How do you champion for the local LGBTQ community?
I am a LGBTQ+ immigrant myself. I know firsthand the experiences faced by so many such as discrimination, family rejection and social exclusion. I have come to find out the impact of unjust laws designed to oppress people like me. Everywhere I go and in every position I have occupied I bring those very personal painful moments with me. They do not demotivate me, on the contrary, they have lit a fire in me to push for true change. This means mentoring new and upcoming LGBTQ+ activists, focusing our efforts on fighting against transphobia and pushing for laws that speak to the full lived experience of all LGBTQ+ people in Central Florida. This means building solidarity-based coalitions and a united front because our communities deserve nothing less than full justice and a true opportunity to thrive.
What is your favorite thing to read in Watermark and why?
I am a hopeless romantic, I love reading about people’s weddings and their love story.
What is your favorite local LGBTQ event?
This is a hard call. it’s a tie between Come Out With Pride and One Magical Weekend. I love Come Out With Pride because it gives me so much joy to see our community out in Downtown Orlando in full force and unapologetically living their truth and expressing themselves. And One Magical Weekend will always have a piece of my heart because that was the event that reconnected Luis, my husband, and I. After we reconnected there our relationship flourished, and I am so incredibly lucky to have him as my rock and life partner.
What is your favorite thing about the local LGBTQ community?
I came to Orlando to work on our community’s healing in the aftermath of the Pulse tragedy. Although those were extremely difficult moments in my personal and professional life, I saw firsthand the true meaning of a community coming together under the banner of love and compassion for one another. Since the moment I arrived, I was embraced by the LGBTQ+ community, and in return, I worked hard to make sure their voices were heard in our local government. I truly love Orlando and I am thankful for the opportunity the LGBTQ+ community has given me to serve, grow, and bring about change for us all.
What would you like to see improved in the local LGBTQ community?
Our community has grown significantly, and it has learned a lot about the intersections of race, gender and much more. But we still need to continue growing to build a community that truly speaks to the needs of every member of our LGBTQ+ community. As an LGBTQ+ immigrant, I still haven’t seen enough discussion on the impact of homophobia and transphobia in the lives of immigrants here in Central Florida. This is one of the reasons why I have taken on this new role as executive director for the Hope CommUnity Center. I am looking forward to working together with our LGBTQ+ leaders in Central Florida to shed light on our common struggles and find ways to create a pathway that leads to freedom for us all.
What would you like our readers to know about you?
Before anything, I am a dreamer. I am not only a former undocumented immigrant, I didn’t have immigration status in the United States for 15 years of my life, I am also a person who dares to dream big. I do dream of a day that our community will be seen internationally as a haven for LGBTQ+ people of every background. I do dream of a day that Florida will become a state where our voices matter in the ballot box, in our culture and in every sector of our society. I dream of the day, that young LGBTQ+ undocumented immigrants can learn about their unfiltered history and can stand proud and say “GAY! GAY! GAY!” in their schools and see themselves in books in their school’s library. I dream of the day that our place of birth isn’t seen as a “threat” but rather seen as an asset to our society. I dream of the day that our collective resilience is celebrated and seen as true strength.
We have a lot of work to do to achieve these big dreams. But I am also a believer and a doer. I believe in our strength to fight, and I am committed to doing my part to make this a reality.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Keep your head up high, stand tall, and don’t give up on your dreams.
When I came out, I was rejected by my mother, and I became homeless for four months. That was one of the most painful moments in my life. I felt alone and I tried to commit suicide, I almost died. I found love in my chosen family who helped me arrive here today and I have repaired my relationship with my mother.
It is possible to overcome great adversity, but I wouldn’t be here without every person who crossed my path and opened doors once closed for me. I am committed to finding ways to continue paying it forward so young people can fulfill their full potential.
What is Hope CommUnity Center’s hope for Central Florida’s LGBTQ community?
We dream of a day that LGBTQ+ immigrants in rural, suburban and urban areas can be seen, heard and connected. We want to break barriers, build bridges and fight alongside each other for a better future. We hope for a day that every person, independently of their immigration status, can live without the fear of deportation and be free to dream big and fulfill their purpose in this life. We hope for our LGBTQ+ community to be truly represented in every level of government and for our voices and concerns to be heard and for our transformative power to change our state forever.
Do you know an LGBTQ business person you would like to see featured in a future Last Page in Watermark? Recommend people in Central Florida to Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams at Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com and people in Tampa Bay to Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com.
