Cristina E. Martinez was born in 1961 in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Arriving in the United States when she was twelve years old, her family settled in Katy, a northeastern suburb of Houston, Texas. She witnessed sexual discrimination due to her unwillingness to hide that she was a Mexican lesbian. Martinez would eventually be kicked out of her house and was taken in by LGBTQ members of the Montrose community. Due to her experiences, she would found a Rainbow House for queer youth who experienced homelessness. She has participated in several efforts to address Latina/o queer issues, including the founding of a Gay and Lesbian Rainbow Pages of supportive businesses and a Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in San Antonio. She discusses how Latina/o LGBTQ issues have been left out of the mainstream LGBTQ movement as well as discrimination within the Latina/o community. Martinez also talks about her involvement in fundraising and organizing efforts through the Gay and Lesbian Latino Organization and the creation of AIDS advocacy campaigns. Due to her work in the Queer community, she has received numerous awards.