Dear Friends and Movement Family,
First and foremost, we commend the strength and courage of the women affected by Representative Diego Hernandez in coming forward. We stand with you. Last spring a few members of our Alianza Poder network issued the accountability statement below for Representative Diego Hernandez as a result of his harmful actions towards several women.
In the statement, we asked Representative Hernandez to step down from his legislative role no later than the closing of the Legislative Equity Office investigation. We urge Representative Hernandez to begin to do right by the victims of his malice behavior and all the communities that have supported him throughout his life by resigning from his legislative position immediately. We also acknowledge that Representative Hernandez’s imminent resignation is just one step in a long path towards healing and restoration for all the parties he has affected.
We remain committed to facilitating an independent, community-based accountability process for Representative Hernandez rooted in transformative justice and focused on collective healing. However, before this happens, Representative Hernandez must take full responsibility for his harmful actions. As a movement, we lead with our core values of dignity, equity, and respect. We center our most impacted community members and we will not tolerate this behavior under any circumstances.
As a network led by Latinx leaders for the Latinx community, we also remain committed to addressing toxic masculinity and sexual harassment in our movement spaces and ultimately the power imbalances caused by systemic oppression through sexism, racism, homophobia, and classism. We must do more and we will.
En comunidad,
- Alianza Poder Members
- PCUN
- Capaces Leadership Institute
- Causa
- Latinos Unidos Siempre
- Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas
- Centro de Servicios Para Campesinos
- Mano a Mano Family Center
- Farmworker Housing Development Corporation
- Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality
Questions about the statement: email apcomms@capacesleadeship.org or 503-302-6549