When Jimmie Muñoz started his business Passport Destilados, he aimed to distribute craft spirits from Mexican beverage makers in the United States, focusing on showcasing businesses owned by people in minority groups or those who would face challenges growing their businesses.
Passport Destilados was among the local business exhibitors at the Latino Pride Festival in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, an event hosted on the weekend of Mexican Independence aimed at celebrating LGBTQ+ people and Latin culture. The event was organized by the Latino Pride Alliance.
"Being a gay man from Phoenix, an event specifically focused on Latino pride lets us see there are other people like us," Muñoz said.
In Latin culture, he said, families are very tight, and no one wants to disappoint their families, so coming out and opening oneself up to rejection or judgment can be especially difficult, he said.
"I wanted to give local artisans a leg up in the market," he said.
One of those beverage makers, Jovy Ortega, the creator of Riablo Sotol, was a classmate of Muñoz when the two were studying at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Ortega set out to create and distribute artisan sotol, a liquor from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, and partnered with Muñoz for distribution.
When Ortega was planning to start a business, he wanted to import alcohol. At the time, mezcal, another regional liquor from Mexico, was booming in popularity.
"The mezcal boom was happening, and in Chihuahua, we don't have mezcal, but we do have sotol," he said. Sotol is made from a plant with the same name and has more floral notes than tequila.
Johnny Velasquez, owner of MaHeRo Designs, also works as a flight attendant and would draw while he was on flights. People started to take notice and ask to buy his work or order commissioned pieces.
He creates mixed-media art with various materials, including glass, paintings, clay sculptures and other pieces.
Velasquez, who has lived in Phoenix for the past 24 years, said he's taken more of a focus on his art in the recent years.
For him, it is nice to see events targeted at the LGBTQ+ Latino community, to show that there is representation for Latinos in the community.
Showcasing Latino-owned businesses and LGBTQ+ organizations, and connecting community members with resources, were the goals when creating the Latino Pride Festival, Steve Gallardo, a Maricopa County Supervisor and organizer of the festival said.
In 2016, Gallardo said, there was a lot of concern about increasing cases of HIV/AIDS in communities of color, and while there are many organizations focused on promoting health and awareness, he said some communities seemed like they were left out of the conversation.
He and others wanted to create an event and community that could connect people with resources and create a family-oriented atmosphere to celebrate LGBTQ+ identities. Gallardo, who came out publicly when he was a member of the Arizona State Senate, said he wanted to let people know they are not alone -- there are people who will support them.
To him, it is essential to connect with young people, like high school students who may be struggling with their identity.
"We want to make people feel welcome," he said.
The 2024 festival was the fourth for the organization, which started hosting it in 2018 but took a pause for the COVID-19 pandemic. Offerings at the festival included food trucks, local vendors, health care providers, political groups and people helping attendees register to vote.
The festival featured DJs, drag performers and musicians. Gallardo said some of the performers prefer a smaller festival where why can showcase their talents than some larger venues where local performers might not get a chance or might get lost in the crowd.
"We have folks that want to perform, let them showcase it," he said.
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