This group is formed with a wide variety of professional individuals in areas of politics, social justice, social services, economics, community members and entertainment figures-all with the purpose of becoming involved in order to positively impact th My name is Victoria Ruiz; I am a Mexican transgender woman, LGBT community organizer, event producer, and writer for the LGBT-themed, Spanish-la
nguage magazine ADELANTE. I am the author of three through-provoking journals: Testimonies of Fortress, Trans News, and LGBTHeroes dealing with the Latino LGBT community in the greater Los Angeles area. Over the past 10 years I have dedicated myself to collaborating, working, and networking with various organizations that advocate for the political equality and social justice for all; regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion affiliations, or immigration status. I have encountered many individuals whom shared their survival stories with me, which changed and impacted my life in various significant ways. These testimonies have motivated me to seek assistance and support from all LGBT community leaders and proud allies since we all share the same passion: to help others in need. Through my journey I have found many supporters and allies that have the same intentions, passion of promoting educational achievement, success and the tools to transform our LGBT community members into positive role models. We share the understanding that we must open doors for the next generation of leaders in order to have a strong societal and political representation strengthening our efforts and community work in areas such as labor, politics, and economics.
