Diane Felix facts for kids

Diane Francis Christine Felix (born March 15, 1953), also known as Chili D, is an American disc jockey (DJ) and activist. She comes from Stockton, California, and is a third-generation Chicana.

Early Life

Diane Felix was born in Stockton, California. Her family came from farm-working backgrounds. She went to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, where she learned how to be a DJ. Later, she worked at Intel while studying at San Jose University. She also started her own business, Felix Computers, building computers from her home in San Francisco.

Activism

United Farm Workers (UFW)

Diane Felix became involved with the United Farm Workers (UFW) after Cesar Chavez spoke at her high school. The UFW was a group that worked to improve conditions for farm workers. Diane helped organize a boycott of grapes in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This meant asking people not to buy grapes to support the farm workers.

Gay Latina/Latino Alliance (GALA)

In 1975, the Gay Latina/Latino Alliance (GALA) was created. This group aimed to fight against unfair treatment within the wider LGBTQ community. It also worked for political change and provided a safe place for gay Latino people to connect.

Community United in Response to AIDS/SIDA (CURAS)

In 1983, Diane Felix helped start the Community United in Response to AIDS/SIDA (CURAS). This was one of the first community groups for Latino people to respond to the AIDS outbreak in San Francisco. She started as a volunteer and later became an office manager. She also worked to reach out to people and teach them about health. She helped create a program called Curanderas, which later became Mujeres Unidas and Activistas. This program helped immigrant women in San Francisco learn about health and get health services.

Proyecto ContraSIDA Por Vida (PCPV)

In 1993, Diane Felix also helped start Proyecto ContraSIDA Por Vida (PCPV). This group focused on providing health education to communities that support LGBTQ people. She held many different jobs there, like Program Director. PCPV helped the community until 2005.

Art

Media Mixing

Diane first started DJing in the early 1970s while in college. She got a job as a DJ at a Chicano radio station called KUOP. She has DJed on the Latin Stage at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Parade for seven years. She has also played music at clubs in Los Angeles.

Theatre

In 1971, Diane wrote two plays that were chosen for a theatre series at her college. One play, called La Macha, was about a young Chicana high school student. She was dealing with unfair treatment from her family because she was a girl. She dreams of a world where gender roles are switched. She dreams of herself coming home from work in a suit to her husband, who is a homemaker.

Her second play was a love story about two people who couldn't easily be together. One character was the son of a farm owner, and the other was a Chicana protesting the working conditions on the farm with the United Farm Workers. They had to keep their feelings a secret because of their different roles.

Diane was also involved with two theatre groups: El Teatro Campesino and Teatro de la Gente.

DJ & Club Promotion

In 1976, Diane Felix started DJing at a club called A Little More. This club was mostly for Filipina women. She wanted to create safe places for women of color who were gay or lesbian. In 1986, she hosted the first club night for gay Latina women in San Francisco, which she called "Colors." This club night ran until 2000.

Since moving to San Francisco, she has been very important in creating and promoting club nights for gay and lesbian Latino people in the Bay Area. Some of these include "Cream," "Kandy," "Octopussy," and the dance parties "Delicious" and "Pan Dulce." "Pan Dulce" was a dance party for all genders, especially for gay and lesbian Latino people.

Honors and Distinctions

In 2000, Diane Felix received the Local Hero Award as part of San Francisco's Lesbian and Gay Pride Month.

Also in 2000, she was recognized for her work with Proyecto ContraSIDA Por Vida. This happened during the 15th anniversary celebration of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society of Northern California.

In 2013, the board members of The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee chose Diane Felix to be a grand marshal for their event.

See also

• Hank M. Tavera
• Proyecto ContraSIDA por Vida