Freedom to Marry welcomes Sergio Lopez as director of Latino programming

February 15, 2013

Today Freedom to Marry announced the newest member of its growing staff: Sergio Lopez, a seasoned campaign organizer, Latino media strategist, and marriage advocate, formerly with People for the American Way. Lopez will serve as the director of Latino Programming, and will work primarily to expand Familia es Familia, the national public education campaign that is sponsored by Freedom to Marry and aims to grow support for gay members of the Latino community through partnership with national Latino-based organizations. Familia es Familia launched in July 2012 and counts the nation's leading Latino organizations as its partners, including National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latino American Citizens (LULAC), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and dozens of others.

"Winning marriage for same-sex couples is a cause that is close to my heart in both a personal and professional capacity, and I'm eager to take that dedication to the next level in my new role with Freedom to Marry," said Lopez. "Momentum is on our side, and now more than ever we must do everything we can as Latinos to reach out to our families, friends, and communities. Familia es Familia helps us stand together and do the right thing. No member of anyone's family should face discrimination, and every person should be able to marry the person that they love."

Lopez previously served as political coordinator at People for the American Way, spearheading the Young Elected Progressives program. He worked closely on marriage campaigns in South Dakota and Wisconsin in 2006 alongside state coalitions. He also authored a weekly blog column, called El Chanclaso, for Voto Latino that was regularly featured in the Huffington Post through the November 2012 elections, and serves on the boards for the Latino GLBT History Project and Pac+.

Recent public opinion research shows that Latinos -- especially Latino Catholics -- strongly favor fairness for gay people in the Latino community, which includes the freedom to marry both nationwide and in key states. 

To learn more about Familia es Familia and resources about marriage for same-sex couples in the Latino community, click here.