Pedro Julio Serrano
| Pedro Julio Serrano | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1974 Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Education | Communications University of Puerto Rico |
| Occupation | Puerto Rico para Tod@s - (President) National Gay and Lesbian Task Force - (Communication Manager) |
Pedro Julio Serrano (born October 2, 1974 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a human rights activist and President of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a non-profit organization that strives for inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and for social justice for all in Puerto Rico since 2003.
Biography
Serrano grew up in Isla Verde, a district of Carolina, which is part of the San Juan metropolitan area. He attended primary and secondary school at the Colegio La Piedad and later studied Communications at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus.[1]
Serrano has received numerous awards for his fight against social injustice and for the rights of LGBT communities in Puerto Rico and the United States. At his high school graduation in 1992, he won the "Sister Sheila O'Brien Award", the highest honor given at his school, for his outstanding contribution to the community. He also received the Leadership Award from the Rotary Club of Isla Verde.[1]
In 1998 by Serrano announced his desire to run for the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico as the first openly-gay candidate ever.[1]
"Puerto Rico para Tod@s" - present
Since 2003, as president of Puerto Rico para Tod@s, Serrano maintains several email lists, and more than 20,000 cyber members receive daily news regarding the struggle for social justice in Puerto Rico and the world. Later, he served as Director of Policy and Media for the Fundación de Derechos Humanos (Human Rights Foundation) in Puerto Rico and then served as Director of Communications of LLEGO, the National Organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Latinos in the United States, which was based in Washington, DC. In 2005, Serrano moved to New York where he worked as Program Coordinator for Voices for Equal Freedom to Marry, an organization that fights for equality in marriage for gays and lesbians. He currently works in New York City as Communications Manager for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, one of the LGBT movement's leading organization in the United States.[1]
Serrano has been a member of the Commission for Combating Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination of the Puerto Rican Bar Association and a member of the Advisory Board of the Puerto Rico Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He has also been a member of the Advisory Committee on Human Rights of the Civil Rights Commission of Puerto Rico and the Advisory Committee of the Puerto Rican Initiative to Develop Empowerment (PRIDE), an organization that advocates for the Puerto Rican LGBT community in New York City. He also served as co-chairman of the National Latino Coalition for Justice, which advocates for equality in marriage. These efforts culminated with the establishment of "Unid@s", the national Latino Human Rights LGBT organization for Latinas/os in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Serrano has served as co-chair of Unid@s.[1]
In 2000, for his advocacy of the LGBT community, Serrano received the Solidarity Award as Male Activist of the Year for Christ the Healer Church. In 2003 he was recognized as one of the 10 most prominent LGBT activists of the year in Puerto Rico by orgulloboricua.net. Furthermore, in 2004 he was recognized by the Environmental Magazine as one of the 10 most prominent LGBT activists in the LGBT Latino community that year. In 2005 he was recognized as one of the 5 most prominent LGBT activists in the anniversary issue of the journal Tentaciones. In 2007 he was awarded the PRIDE Award from the PRIDE organization in New York City. In 2009 he received the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Bravo Award (highest award) by Radio Pride Connection by request of the public during the Pride Weekend in Boquerón, Puerto Rico. He also served as the grand marshal of the 7th LGBT Pride Parade West held in Boquerón. Moreover, in the same year he was chosen by MiApogeo.com as one of the 25 most influential Latino LGBT people.[1]
Serrano maintains a blog, The Blog of PJ, which is published on his website PedroJulioSerrano.com and in several newspapers such as El Vocero, Diálogo, Biler GConcierge Magazine and The Project. Currently, Serrano lives in New York City with his boyfriend Steven A. Toledo and their dog Coquí.[1]
External links
- Official Website
- Pedro Julio Serrano - National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
- Profile on Pedro Julio Serrano from ABC News
- Puerto Rico Para Tod@s
