STAT BOX
Community Engagement Coordinator for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders
Born and raised in an indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico
Moved to the Silicon Valley, and grew up surrounded by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation and the world's largest high-tech corporations
Currently reading Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco’s memoir Giving It Raw: Nearly 30 Years With AIDS
Photo courtesy of www.InfinityPortraitDesign.com
Q: How long have you worked at GLAD?
A: I joined GLAD in July 2015.
Q: What did you do before working here?
A: A UC Berkeley graduate, I completed a nationally competitive legal fellowship at Munger, Tolles & Olson, a full-service law firm known for trying bet-the-company cases and negotiating deals that shape our corporate landscape. In 2014, I cofounded a leading national LGBTQ rights organization, FAMILIA: Trans Queer Liberation Movement.
Q: What job or training best prepared you to work here?
A: I’m a humble student of life. As a transgender immigrant, I have first-hand experience with the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, immigration status, and economic status. Just mix in 5+ years of policy advocacy, public education, community organizing, and social media experience and let the learning process continue.
Q: What would the world be like without your organization?
A: Since 1978, GLAD has achieved scores of legal victories including the right to bring a same-sex date to prom, protections against discrimination for all people living with HIV, and, most recently, marriage equality. I cannot imagine a world without GLAD. Our dedication to advance the rights of LGBTQ people and people living with HIV continues today through Cote v. Walmart, Doe v. Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, and Barrett v. Fontbonne Academy. We are also currently developing Know Your Rights curricula for LGBTQ youth in the Deaf and Heard-of-Hearing community. GLAD understands the need to ensure that all members of the LGBTQ and HIV+ communities understand their legal rights and how to assert them.
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