Queens Stories: The Story of Lorena Borjas: The Transgender Latina Activist

Lorena Borjas

May 29, 1960 – March 30, 2020

We are saddened by the passing of Lorena Borjas, who we featured in our documentary "Lorena Borjas The Transgender Latina Activist" from Coronavirus.

QPTV Supervising Producer Luchia Dragosh got to know her while producing the program, "She was such a beautiful soul who helped others when her journey was difficult and painful as an immigrant, as a trans immigrant. She believed the trans community needed love, acceptance, and compassion, and she gave it all."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Dec. 27. 2017 that he would pardon 61 New Yorkers including those facing deportation or barriers to becoming citizens. One of the New Yorkers pardoned was Lorena Borjas, a 57-year-old Jackson Heights resident. Borjas was convicted of fourth-degree criminal facilitation in 1994 when she was 23 years old and a victim of human trafficking. Borjas moved to the US when she was 21. She currently works as an educator at community health centers citywide. She is an advocate for transgender and immigrant communities, running HIV-testing programs for transgender sex workers, and syringe-exchange programs for transgender women taking hormone injections.

• Executive Producer: Daniel J. Leone

• Producer: Luchia Dragosh

• Director: Eddy Duran

• Editor: Eddy Duran

• Camera: Eddy Duran, Luchia Dragosh, Steve Carbo

• Production Assistant: Christina Gary