Task Force Deputy Executive Director of External Relations Russell Roybal presents Ernesto Dominguez with the Youth Leadership Award.
Local youth, HIV/AIDS and immigration activist Ernesto Dominguez isn’t new to winning awards. A year and a half ago Dominguez received the HRC’s student activist award and he just recently accepted the the Paul A. Anderson Youth Leadership Award for his work with ChatPDX, a collaboration between organizations and individuals working to curb HIV and AIDS transmission among young people through peer education and outreach, HIV testing, youth services and social media, and with Advocates for Youth, which also aims to help teens make informed decisions around sex.
You can see video of Dominguez’s acceptance speech, given at the Creating Change conference in Baltimore, MD, Tuesday January 31st, put on by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. In it he powerfully equates LGBT and immigration rights saying, “LGBT rights are immigrant rights, and immigrant rights are LGBT rights,” and basically gives us all hope for the future of our young people. (I can say that now that I am a solidly adult 30 year old right?)
The video, as well as a transcript of his acceptance speech, are below.
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Every now and again qPDX must stand behind a public service announcement. This April 1, and no, it’s not a joke, we refuse to be invisible any longer and should stand up and be counted for the 
