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Jesus Suatan (He/She/They) was born and raised in the community of El Sereno, in the Northeast Side of Los Angeles. They are currently attending East Los Angeles College, where they study communications, and working on obtaining their Bachelors Degree in such field. Upon completion, they hope to pursue a career as a meteorologist. In the past, Jesus has served LEA as a LGBTQ youth intern, Census Outreach Organizer and has slowly worked their way up towards their current held position. Their number one mission in life is to help people by bridging the gaps that stop them from getting to the other side: success.
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Jesica L. Santiago, from Oaxaca, Mexico (She/Her) is one of LEA’s Community Organizer and is the lead coordinator of the Communications Team. As a first-generation college graduate, her icons are her parents whom she admires and is grateful for their hard work. Jesica’s career path will always be about advocating for a better world and community. She believes unity and teamwork can help break boundaries for people like her.
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Angel Elizalde (He/Him/His) is originally from Tlaxcala, Mexico, and embarked on his journey of advocacy straight out of high school following his passion for justice and social change. His dedication led him to join transformative initiatives such as Children Over Politics and the Wise Up Program at CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles). Through these platforms, Angel passionately advocated for systemic changes, immigrant rights, and the pivotal role of civic engagement, particularly emphasizing the importance of voting as a catalyst for change. Alongside his activism, Angel champions his cultural heritage as the leader of a Danza Azteca group in South LA. Through this, he honors his roots and boosts cultural awareness in the community, enriching lives along the way. With aspirations to join a Mariachi group, he seeks to amplify his voice not only through music but also as a source of inspiration for other young artists. he envisions a future where he continues to pursue his studies and his advocacy for a better tomorrow.
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Sanya "Bibi" Lojero (she/her) is the Resource Navigator of Latino Equality Alliance as of June 2022. She has been involved in community work for several years in vary capacities since she was a high school student in need of LGBTQIA+ resources. Over the years, she has also been involved with performing and producing queer and trans focused events in the Queer Nightlife scene throughout Southern California. Currently, as a Resource Navigator, she aims to connect LGBTQIA+ folks with necessary resources to improve our overall community health and wellness that allows us to better take care of one another.
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Javier Garay (they/them) is a dedicated Bell Gardens native whose activism began in their youth, fueled by a passion for improving the SELA community. This drive was ignited within the environmental justice movement at East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, where Javier's work identified their focus on quality of life, and community building. They received their B.A. of Environmental Science from the University of California, Irvine and has continued to work around SELA since them. They began attending LEA membership spaces in 2021 in Bell Gardens and immediately felt connected to LEA's goals. Through LEA, Javier hopes to build the connections necessary to build safe communities for LGBTQ+ people in the SELA region.
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Eduardo Salas (He/They) was born and raised in the Oakland Area of California. He graduated from UCLA with a concentration in Chicana/o Studies and an Associates in Human Development. His non-profit work is rooted in coalition building within Latine and LGBTQIA+ communities across Mexico and Nicaragua–having lived in both his teenage years. Over the years, he’s also been heavily involved in creating queer-latine narratives in the Film Industry and showcasing work at Outfest, LA LGBT Festival, and more. He hopes to relentlessly uplift and champion his communities wholeheartedly at LEA in the pursuit of coordinating safer spaces.
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Victoria Blackburn (she/her) is the Resource Navigator of Latino Equality Alliance as of November 2023. Using her lived experiences as a transgender woman of color, an entertainer in the LA nightlife, and as an LA transplant who experienced homelessness and housing instability on her journey to accessible transgender healthcare, she continues to pave a way for herself and her future. Her goal now as a Resource Navigator, is to use her lived experiences through the hoops and hurdles, to provide an easier time for LGBT+ folks who find themselves in similar situations..
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Milagros Montalvo (She/They) is a Queer Nuyorican raised by a community of strong and resilient afro-boricua womxn in Brooklyn. She graduated from University of Southern California with a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) from the Peter Stark Producing Program and graduated from Pomona College with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Media Studies. Prior to transitioning to the non-profit space and working with LEA, Milagros worked for over 5 years in the Film/TV industry advocating for more inclusive storytelling. She cares deeply about harnessing the power of storytelling and uplifting the voices of underserved communities. Milagros hopes to use her skills and background in film/tv, marketing, storytelling and her personal experiences to support LEA’s mission to advocate for and protect the Latine LGBTQ+ community in Southern California.
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Christopher Olivares (He/Him) is a graduate from East Los Angeles College where he received an Associates Arts degree in Sociology and Law, Public Safety and Society. He is currently attending CSU Dominguez Hills where he wants to obtain his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Minor in Anthropology: Indigenous Peoples Studies and Public Administration with the focus in social work and non-profit work. Chris was born and raised in SELA in the incorporated area of Walnut Park and graduated from Huntington Park High School where he first started his development for social justice and activism for his community and unprivileged communities. His work with LEA revolves around building and assisting with SOMESLEA.com website with the Programming and Development teams. Chris usually spends his time outside of LEA as a Photographer and Videographer, his main focus is mostly dedicated his goal of creating a Non-Profit Organization to help homeless college students for career clothing, hygiene, Sustainable Pop-Up Closet Projects in the SELA region.
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