An Ofrenda at the State Fair of Texas Celebrates an Honorable Dallas Spirit

“Hey, don’t I owe you a drink?”

Those were the famous words of Jesse Tafalla, an East Dallas native, LGBTQ and Latino advocate and, above all, a friend who was always happy to buy the next round.

Tafalla died from a heart attack on June 6 this year at age 60. To commemorate his passing, the State Fair of Texas erected an ofrenda in his honor as part of its Mundo Latino exhibition. Ofrendas are home altars that honor the dead in Mexican households, usually displayed during the country’s Dia De Los Muertos observations.

The Mexican offering and memorial at the fair displays many items Tafalla cherished: Playbills of his favorite Broadway shows, photos of his loved ones, a diet Coke, a bucket of chicken and a Bud Light, ready for his spirit to consume.

The ofrenda also showcased a life well-lived and rooted in advocacy. Tafalla long championed the rights of LGBTQ and Latino intersectionality and was a vocal supporter of the local arts. He was president of LULAC’s Rainbow Council (the League of United Latin American Citizens), a member of the Stonewall Democrats, Cara Mia Theater, Somos Tejas and more.

He was a major part of the community, and memorial services were held after Tafalla's death at spaces such as the Latin LGBTQ bar Havana’s and even on the floor of the House of Representatives where he was recognized by Rep. Marc A. Veasy on June 16.

Tafalla was a “steadfast champion for equality, justice and inclusion,” Veasy said. “Jesse lived to serve his community.”

At the fair, Tafalla's ofrenda stands past the dedications to Selena and the lives lost too soon in Uvalde. At the heart of his display, a blanket with Tafalla’s smiling face is draped in the middle.
In Mexican culture, these altars present unique opportunities to mourn the lives lost of those we didn't even get to know. They offer the beauty of reflection on the life passed before us.

Juan Contreras, Texas Latino Pride founder and president, knew Tafalla well and spoke of his commitment to the community. Contreras says Tafalla was at every art exhibition, every march and demonstration and yet still had time to offer friends, old or new, that drink.

Tafalla also advocated for the rights of trans folks in Dallas and across the country and was a vocal supporter of queer art expression through drag. That kind of allyship was essential to Tafalla, Contreras says.

Through his work with Texas Latino Pride and other causes, Contreras hopes to continue Tafalla's legacy. This is a sentiment that seems well cemented in Tafalla's many communities. A Facebook tribute page to him shows hundreds of posts dedicated in his honor.

“I've heard there's a beautiful place where good souls go when they leave this world, and if such a place exists, Jesse is there,” activist Soraya Santos wrote in a dedication post. “And they don't let just anyone in.”

Tafalla's ofrenda at the State Fair of Texas continues to inspire the community to effectively organize, to build community,  intersect purpose and advocacy and, most of all, honor the power of getting to know someone over a drink.