Heroes for Pride Month: Ruby Corado, D.C. Trans activist
Ruby Corado fled El Salvador in the midst of a civil war when she was 16. Now 43, she is a tireless advocate for transgender, gender queer and gender non-conforming people as well as gays, lesbians and bisexuals in Washington, D.C.
Corado came out as transgender in the 1990s. In 2003 she was a co-founder of the DC Trans Coalition. And in 2012 she opened Casa Ruby, a shelter in the nation’s capital for the city’s LGBTQ citizens.
According to NBC Out, the center was originally a single-floor drop-in center. But now, “the shelter has expanded to multiple houses that provide services and emergency housing for Washington D.C.'s LGBTQ population….
“The 40-bed shelter has housed more than 500 people over the past several years. And while Casa Ruby accepts people of all ages across the LGBTQ spectrum, a large portion of those it serves are transgender and gender-nonconforming youth of color, according to Corado.”
Casa Ruby’s website (www.casaruby.org) says, “Casa Ruby is the only Bilingual Multicultural LGBT Organization providing life saving services and programs to the most vulnerable in the LGBT community. A large number of our clients have incomes of less than $15,000.00 per year.”
The organization describes Corado as, “a self-made tireless advocate and leader for social justice, her hard work has help gain legal protections in Washington, DC. She has fought for LGBT Human Rights, Transgender Liberation, Immigration Equality, Access to Health Care, Hate Crimes/violence and many other disparities and issues facing the communities that she represents.”
NBC Out writes that running an LGBTQ center has its challenges. “In March, a man threw a brick through a window and attacked one of the center's transgender staff members — the third time in two weeks the center had been vandalized. Following the attacks, Casa Ruby received overwhelming love and support, including cards and donations from people across the country. A local gay bar raised $17,000, and an online fundraiser garnered $15,000 for the center.”
Corado has received recognition for her work from numerous organizations. The Casa Ruby website says, “She has been awarded The Capital Pride Heroes in 2005, Metro Weekly; Trans America 2006; Latino LGBT History Project Heroes Exhibit 2007; 25 Most Influential Latino LGBT activists by Latino Voice 2009; Stein Democrats, Heil-Balin Community Service Award 2011; Capital Pride Engendered Spirit Awards, 2011; Gay And Lesbians Activists Alliance GLLA, Distinguish Service Award 2012; The Activist of the Year by the African American Prism Awards 2012; Ten LGBTQ Latin@s That Make us Proud by XQSi Magazine 2012; The DC Center Community Center Service Award 2013; and Gays And Lesbians Opposing Violence, Community Service Award 2013.”
The world needs more people like Ruby Corado. Thanks, Ruby, for all you do.
Copyright 2017 The Gayly – June 15, 2017 @ 1:45 p.m.