Drago Renteria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dragonsani "Drago" Renteria
Renteria giving the keynote speech at the Northwest Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf [NWRAD] Lifestyle Leadership Camp, 2006.

Dragonsani "Drago" Renteria is a well-known leader and activist. He works for social justice and supports the rights of LGBTQ+ people. He is also an educator, editor, historian, and artist.

Drago Renteria is the CEO of DeafVision. He also started and leads the Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC). He has lived in San Francisco for a long time. He has led many efforts to help Deaf LGBTQ+ people. He has also been in charge of several Deaf LGBT organizations.

Early Life and Learning

Drago Renteria was born in El Paso, Texas. His family has Mexican and Italian backgrounds. He grew up learning about Chicano culture. Spanish was his first language.

When he was 11, he got very sick with spinal meningitis. After two days of high fever, he became deaf.

In the late 1970s, when he was 12, he began to understand his identity. In the late 1990s, he became one of the first known deaf people to transition from female to male.

He went to Gallaudet University from 1986 to 1988. There, he was president of the student LGBTQ+ group, the Lambda Society. He was also Chief Justice of the Student Body Government. He worked on the school newspaper, Buff & Blue. He was also involved with Hispanos Unidos en Gallaudet.

Later, he transferred to the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). He earned his bachelor's degree in 1993. He also studied at the City College of San Francisco. He earned certificates in photojournalism and professional portrait photography.

Career and Activism

Fighting for Fairness

At Gallaudet, Drago Renteria learned about the power of organizing. Since then, he has worked on many important causes. These include fighting against gentrification and for housing rights. He especially helps Latino people and other people of color.

He has served on the boards of many groups. These include FTM International and the Transgender Law Center. He has also given speeches and workshops across the country. He has spoken at events like the National Association of the Deaf Conference.

Starting New Businesses

In 1997, Renteria became the CEO of DeafVision. This was one of the first internet companies owned by a deaf person. DeafVision helps many deaf LGBTQ+ organizations. They host websites for groups like Trans Ally and the Youth Gender Project.

He also created the first websites for deaf women (Deaf Women Resources). He made the first website for the deaf leather community (Deaf Leather Dungeon). He also created the first website for the deaf Latinx community (Deaf Aztlan).

From 1992 to 1995, he was the director of the Deaf Gay and Lesbian Center (DGLC). This group helped deaf LGBTQ+ people in the San Francisco Bay Area. He realized that many deaf LGBTQ+ people outside big cities needed support.

He thought the internet could help. He imagined an online community center. He also started the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives in 1993. He was the editor of DCARA News from 1995 to 1996. He also founded and edited the Coming Together Newsletter (CTN).

Deaf Queer Resource Center

In 1995, Drago Renteria started the Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC). This was one of the first websites for the Deaf community. He saw a need for a national organization to help deaf LGBTQIA people.

The DQRC launched on September 1, 1995. It was the first website for the Deaf community focused on LGBTQ+ issues. The DQRC is now a nonprofit organization. It offers peer support, information, and workshops. It also works to make the Deaf LGBTQ+ community more visible. It helps preserve their history.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DQRC shared easy-to-understand information. They also hosted online events for the Deaf community. The DQRC gets over 15,000 visits each month. They also share resources on Facebook and Instagram. Renteria continues to make videos for the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives. These videos help save the history of the Deaf LGBT community.

Through the DQRC, Renteria started National Deaf LGBTQ Awareness Week in 2018. He hoped deaf schools would use it to support Deaf LGBT youth. This awareness week happens every April.

Photography and Photojournalism

Since 2015, he has been a photojournalist for El Tecolote. This newspaper covers issues in the Mission District of San Francisco. He focuses on topics that affect Latinx people and other people of color. His work often shows how gentrification affects the San Francisco Bay Area. He uses photos and silent documentaries to tell these stories.

He has shared his work at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf. His art has been shown in exhibits like the Bay Area Deaf Arts exhibit. He has also curated art exhibits at the Dyer Arts Center.

Personal Life

Drago Renteria has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1989. He has lived in the Mission District since 1999. He lives with his long-time partner, Jennifer Mantle. She is an ASL interpreter and a minister. They also have a service dog named Magnus.

Publications and Mentions

Drago Renteria has been mentioned in several books. In Innovations in Deaf Studies, he said that Deaf LGBTQ+ people were often left out of history books. He also noticed there were almost no books written by Deaf LGBTQ+ people of color. He decided to start documenting their history himself.

A poem by Renteria is in the 1993 book Eyes of Desire: A Deaf Gay & Lesbian Reader. He is also mentioned in other books. These include Out's Gay & Lesbian Guide to the Web (1997) and The Transgender Child (2008).

Awards and Honors

Drago Renteria has received many awards for his work:

• 2019 Changemakers, Disability Changemakers
• Laurent Clerc Award, Gallaudet University, 2018
• Trailblazer Award, DeafHope, 2015
• 41 Latin@ LGBTQ role models, 2015
• Honorary Grand Marshall, Seattle LGBT Pride, 2006
• Appreciation Award, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, 2005
• DCARA Hal Ramger Distinguish Service Award, 2003
• Appreciation Award, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, 2003
• LGBT Local Hero Award, KQED San Francisco, 2002
• Community Service Award, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 2002
• Appreciation Award, California State Assembly, 2002
• Woman of the Year Award, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, 2001
• Deaf Queer Role Model, Youth Advocates, 2000
• Leadership Award, Rainbow Lambda Society of the Deaf, 1999
• Baltimore Leather Association of the Deaf Life Brother Emeritus, 1998
• Grand Marshall, San Francisco Freedom Day Parade, 1995
• Special Recognition Award, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1993
• Leadership Award, Lambda Society of Gallaudet University, 1987

The Drago Renteria Commitment to the LGBTQA Community Award

Each year, Gallaudet University's LGBTQA Resource Center holds a Lavender Graduation ceremony. This event celebrates graduating students who are part of the LGBTQIA community. It also honors advocates and role models. They are recognized for their efforts to promote fairness and understanding for LGBTQIA people.

The Drago Renteria Commitment to the LGBTQA Community Award is a very high honor. It is given to a student who has shown amazing service and leadership. This student helps strengthen the LGBTQA+ community. They also encourage awareness and understanding of LGBTQA+ issues at Gallaudet University and in the wider Deaf community.