Seattle’s Latino LGBTQ+ community is preparing to honour 35 years of Entre Hermanos with a Día de Muertos gala on 24 October 2026. The celebration will recognise the grassroots volunteers, advocates and organisers who built the organisation, while highlighting its growing work in HIV support, immigration services, mental health and community advocacy across Washington state.

Essential Takeaways

  • A landmark anniversary: Entre Hermanos has supported Latino LGBTQ+ communities in Washington for 35 years.
  • A meaningful celebration: The Día de Muertos gala will use hummingbird imagery to honour connection, memory and legacy.
  • Services have expanded: Support now includes HIV testing, case management, transport, mental health help and immigration assistance.
  • A permanent home is the goal: Leaders hope to create an Entre Hermanos centre with community rooms, a food pantry and practical resources.
  • Support goes beyond tickets: Volunteering, sharing information and offering professional help can all strengthen the organisation.

A community lifeline reaches 35 years

Entre Hermanos has reached its anniversary with something more valuable than a neat origin story: proof that it has endured. Born during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the Seattle organisation grew from mutual care at a time when Latino LGBTQ+ people often had few culturally relevant services to turn to.

That history still gives the organisation its emotional centre. According to Entre Hermanos, its work has always combined practical support with visibility, advocacy and a sense of belonging. For many people, it has been less like a conventional service provider and more like a community home. [3], [4]

Its 35th anniversary gala will take place at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel on 24 October 2026. The event is designed as both a celebration and a reminder that the needs which brought people together decades ago haven't disappeared entirely. [2], [5]

Why Día de Muertos adds deeper meaning

Día de Muertos is a natural fit for an anniversary built around memory. Rather than treating the past as a museum piece, the celebration will bring founders, former leaders, volunteers and newer community members into the same room.

This year's visual symbol is the colibrí, or hummingbird. Its role as a messenger between worlds makes it a fitting emblem for an organisation that is continually linking generations, remembering those lost and carrying their work forward. [2], [5]

The gala will also acknowledge the people who helped establish Entre Hermanos when much of the work relied on volunteers and informal networks. That early commitment matters, especially when today's larger organisation can sometimes make its modest beginnings easy to overlook.

From HIV support to immigration advocacy

Entre Hermanos now offers a broader network of support than it did in its early years. Its services include HIV and STI testing, medical case management, transport to appointments and mental health support, with information available in Spanish and English. [3], [7]

The organisation has also developed immigration services for LGBTQ+ and transgender people, including those seeking safety after leaving their home countries. That work sits at the intersection of identity, healthcare and legal protection, so a trusted community organisation can make an enormous difference.

Its reach extends beyond Seattle, including HIV-related services and support groups in Yakima. Meanwhile, partnerships with other LGBTQ+ and community organisations help prevent one group from being expected to solve every problem alone. [3], [6]

The next ambition is a permanent home

After several decades of rented and changing offices, Entre Hermanos leaders want something more lasting: a building of its own. The proposed vision is practical as well as symbolic, with space for workshops, classes, gatherings, a food pantry and a resource cupboard.

A permanent centre could make services easier to find and allow the organisation to shape its surroundings around the people it serves. There’s a quiet power in seeing an organisation's colours and history on the walls rather than moving from one temporary address to another.

Sustainability is just as important as property. The organisation's future depends on retaining skilled staff, offering fair pay and making room for rest after demanding periods such as Pride season. That may sound like an administrative detail, but community care can't remain healthy if the people providing it are running on empty. [3], [4]

How supporters can stand with Entre Hermanos

The anniversary gala offers an obvious way to show support, but it isn't the only one. According to the organisation and its community partners, people can volunteer, share information, attend events, connect clients with services or contribute professional expertise.

That matters because demand remains high, particularly for immigration support and legal assistance. Donations help, but visibility and practical solidarity can be just as useful, especially for people who may not yet know where to turn.

For an organisation that began with neighbours caring for one another, the message remains refreshingly straightforward: show up, listen and help make the next generation safer than the last.

It’s a milestone worth celebrating, but the real achievement is keeping the door open.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

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