J. Manny Santiago

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J. Manny Santiago is an American Baptist pastor from Puerto Rico and executive director of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission since October 2019. [1] [2] [3] As of October 31, 2022, he was a member of the board of trustees at Tacoma Community College. [4]

He was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He has said one of the reasons for him leaving Puerto Rico for the mainland United States was due to homophobia in Puerto Rico. [5] Santiago graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts with a Master of Divinity. [6]

A gay man, [7] he is an advocate of LGBTQ rights within Christianity. [8] In 2023, he spoke at "Love, Equally", an exhibit in Olympia, Washington which celebrated the legalization of same-sex marriage in the state, [9] and has criticized states which have banned gender-affirming care for transgender people. [5]

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References

  1. Sailor, Craig (October 26, 2019). "State's new commission head is ready to help LGBTQ citizens know their rights". Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  2. Eichenbaum, A. V. (August 5, 2022). "A human virus, not a Gay virus: Community leaders convene to address MPV misinformation, course of action". Seattle Gay News . Vol. 50, no. 31.
  3. "Leader of Washington state's new LGBTQ commission says he has 3 main goals". The Seattle Times . October 26, 2019.
  4. "Tacoma Community College Welcomes J. Manny Santiago to the Board of Trustees – The Suburban Times". The Suburban Times. November 7, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Alfonseca, Kiara (June 11, 2023). "'Genocidal': Transgender people begin to flee states with anti-LGBTQ laws". ABC News .
  6. "J. Manny Santiago". HuffPost .
  7. "Mentors and Friends". COMING HOME TO EVANGELICALISM AND TO SELF (PDF). Human Rights Campaign. July 2018. p. 10.
  8. Yorulmaz, Ilgin (15 June 2017). "Why These Fierce Faith Leaders Are Marching for LGBTQ Rights". Auburn Seminary .
  9. Ftikas, Jr, George (February 16, 2023). "'Love, Equally' public exhibit celebrates marriage equality". Lynnwood Times.