John,

Ritchie Torres is no stranger to shattering expectations. He knows that too few LGBTQ people of color hold political power – and they almost never hail from the Bronx. But if you learn one thing about Ritchie today, it should be this: he’s proud of where he comes from, and he’ll never stop fighting.

Growing up in public housing, Ritchie struggled with asthma due to the dire living conditions his family found themselves in. He recalled being upset and galvanized when the city subsidized a golf course across the street (owned by one Donald Trump), costing taxpayers hundreds of millions and unleashing a skunk infestation on Ritchie’s home.

But this incident marked a turning point. Ritchie jumped into local politics, eventually running for the New York City Council, where he made history as the youngest elected official in New York City and the first out LGBTQ elected official from the Bronx. He used his seat to battle for better living conditions, tackling a lead paint scandal, heating outages and addressing housing issues that have long plagued the Bronx.

He decided to come out to the public while on the campaign trail. As he told The New York Times in 2019, “I was concerned that if I came out of the closet, that at best, I would face ostracism, and at worst, face violence.” While in office, he’s sought to make the world a better place for LGBTQ people, passing dozens of laws to increase resources and services for LGBTQ people in New York.

And after defeating one of New York’s biggest bigots and shattering a rainbow ceiling, Ritchie shows no signs of slowing down. During his short time in Congress, Ritchie has sponsored 15 bills and cosponsored over 200 more. He proposed the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act and issued a resolution condemning the rise in hate against trans and non-binary people (which, as you can imagine, really riled up the bigots).

As Ritchie himself told LGBTQ Victory Institute supporters during our National Out to Win Day panel, “The triumph of an openly LGBTQ Congressional candidate, in a place like the South Bronx, is a powerful testament to how far we’ve come. It is one example of a rainbow wave that shows no signs of stopping.”

We need more leaders like Ritchie. Leaders who can address and fix dire problems because they’ve lived the in the consequences of failed policies. Leaders who can speak to the power of pro-equality legislation because they've felt the effects of exclusion. We need more leaders like Ritchie - and we're powering the work to elect them. Pitch in today.

Thank you,

LGBTQ Victory Institute

LGBTQ Victory Institute is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 52-1835268.

Victory Institute is ONLY national organization dedicated to elevating openly LGBTQ leaders who can further equality at all levels of government. Through our trainings, professional development programs and yearly conferences, Victory Institute prepares hundreds of out individuals to launch an influential careers in politics, government, business and advocacy. Many of our trainees join the more than 1,000 openly LGBTQ elected and appointed officials now serving around the world.

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