My friend and "Bottom Monologues" co-coordinator Erik Libey informed me today that his friend and colleague, Ron Gonzalez, was aboard Continental Flight 3407 when it crashed last week, killing all 50 passengers and crew members. Ron has a long history of fabulous work within the Gay Men's Health movement, and will be missed. Here is a bit more information on Ron, from Outcome (Buffalo's LGBT newspaper):
Gonzalez was director of New Brunswick Tomorrow, a youth services program in New Brunswick, N.J., was flying into Buffalo to visit relatives. He previously had lived in Buffalo where he had worked for AIDS Community Services as executive director of Alianza Latina and also education services director and community educator.
Gonzalez, an openly gay man, worked to educate gay youth and young adults about health and safe-sex both through his work at Aids Community services and in collaborative programs at Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York.
Gonzalez was a National Urban Fellow at The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton prior to his move to New Brunswick.
The Star-Ledger of New Jersey has reports that "Gonzalez was on his way to visit family in Buffalo", according to Jeffrey Vega, president of New Brunswick Tomorrow.
Gonzalez was born and raised in New York City
Although I did not know him, I think it's safe to say that he will be sorely missed by many.
Trevor---
As ever, you are a treasure. I am touched beyond expression.
Thank you for honoring the life & memory of my dear friend & colleague here....and thank you for linking to the "Outcome" article about him.
In the days since the accident, much press has been written about Ron---and all of that press has highlighted the amazing man that he was...but much of it has also "de-queered" him by failing to reference him as a gay man. For me, however, Ron was above all else an articulate, intelligent and EMPOWERED queer man. He was unashamed of himself or his community and he worked tirelessly, both professionally and personally, to make the lives of queer people better. It is profoundly heartening to see his life celebrated in queer spaces by queer people.
He will, indeed, be missed greatly by many.
---xo
Erik