Overview

Lorena Borjas (May 29, 1960 – March 30, 2020) was a Mexican‑American transgender activist who became a central community leader in Jackson Heights, Queens. Widely described as the "mother" of the local transgender Latinx community, she spent decades providing practical support, advocacy and organizing for immigrants, survivors of violence, people living with HIV, and sex workers.

Early life and background

Borjas was born in Veracruz, Mexico, and later studied public accounting in Mexico City. She emigrated to the United States as a young adult and settled in New York City, where she built community ties in the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Queens. Her personal experience as a transgender immigrant informed her work and commitment to people navigating marginalization, poverty and legal insecurity.

Community work and services

For many years Borjas ran grassroots support networks that combined direct care with referrals and advocacy. Her activities frequently included:

  • Helping people access hormone therapy and basic health information;
  • Accompanying survivors of abuse and exploitation to medical and legal appointments;
  • Providing food, clothing and shelter assistance for people in crisis;
  • Offering peer counseling and information about immigration relief and health services.

These efforts made her an informal but indispensable service provider for people often excluded from mainstream institutions. Her work connected individuals to clinics, social services and legal resources across New York City.

Recognition and public acknowledgement

Borjas received public recognition for her community leadership. She was honored by former Mayor David Dinkins and by elected officials who acknowledged her role supporting marginalized transgender and immigrant communities. Examples of public appreciation include citations and awards from local government offices and legal authorities. See acknowledgements from city and state figures such as Mayor Dinkins, New York Attorney General and Queens officials. In 2019 she was named a New York Woman of Distinction in the State Senate (State Senate recognition).

Impact, challenges and legacy

Borjas's approach blended mutual aid with advocacy: she mobilized neighbors, mentored younger activists, and pushed for greater visibility and rights for transgender Latinx people. Her leadership helped highlight urgent needs around health care access, anti‑violence protections and immigrant rights. At the same time, her life reflected the precarious conditions many advocates and the people they serve face, including discrimination, poverty and limited access to formal support systems. Her work has been cited in broader discussions about community‑based responses to public health and social exclusion (transgender and immigrant rights).

Death and remembrance

Lorena Borjas died on March 30, 2020, during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Her passing was widely mourned in New York’s LGBTQ and immigrant communities. Memorials and remembrances emphasized both her practical assistance to hundreds of people and her role as a cultural and political touchstone for transgender Latinx New Yorkers. Coverage and tributes from community organizations and journalists documented the scope of her work and the void her death left in Queens neighborhoods (community tributes, biographical notes). Additional resources that discuss her life and activism include legal, health and community service perspectives (background, advocacy).

Her story continues to inform contemporary conversations about grassroots organizing, the intersections of gender and immigration, and the importance of community leadership in supporting people who are often excluded from institutional care.