Hello fellow Democrats,
My name is Jesse Garcia and I'm a gay Latino activist from Dallas, Texas, who has been involved in the Democratic Party since 1994. That year, I helped launch a College Democrats chapter at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, where I earned a master’s degree in communication arts in 1996.
For the next 12 years, I have worked as a public servant for the federal government (U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Peace Corps and currently in the Department of Agriculture). During my spare time, I advocate for LGBT equality and Hispanic rights. I'm currently president of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas (www.stonewalldemocratsofdallas.org) and president of the League United Latin American Citizens Council 4871 – The Dallas Rainbow Council (the first-ever LGBT LULAC council in the nation -- www.lulac4871.org).
I have been twice elected to serve on the National Stonewall Democrats board of directors, helping decide policy for more than 90 Stonewall chapters and affiliates across the nation. In 2004, I was selected to represent the United States in a European exchange program funded by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, where as a Marshall’s fellow I met with community leaders of five nations to discuss LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS treatment and Immigration policies.
I'm also a proud member of the National Treasury Employees Union. I volunteer my time with the city of Dallas serving as a board commissioner, making sure businesses in Dallas adhere to city codes and zoning laws. And I serve on the advisory panel of Youth First Texas, a Dallas resource center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning teens ages 13 to 19, where I will start mentoring this summer.
