I’m a gay man

I believe in normalizing the power of my own visibility ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Ritchie Torres For Congress]( Hi {NAME}, With Pride month upon us, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my experience as the Bronx’s first openly gay elected official, and share why representation matters so much to me.[If you don’t have time read on, please consider making a $3 donation today »]( [$875 MIDNIGHT GOAL: CHIP IN $3 NOW »]( Growing up in the Bronx, I had no family, no friends, and no neighbors who were openly gay. I was blinded by fear to see my own value and equality – and terrified to come out of the closet. Since making the brave decision to come out, not a day goes by that I take for granted being able to live proudly as an out gay man and serve my community as an elected official. It’s impossible to overstate the power of representation. My experience as an LGBTQ person has made me far more authentic as an elected official than I otherwise would be. I believe in normalizing the power of my own visibility, so that young people can grow up without shame, but with pride in who they are. So with attacks on the LGBTQ community at an all time high, it’s more important than ever to have LGBTQ people of color in the room where decisions are being made. [This always has been – and will always continue to be – one of my top priorities as a member of Congress. So {NAME}, I’m personally asking you to join my fight for equality by chipping in $3 today. My campaign needs to raise $875 by midnight to continue this important work »]( If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [CONTRIBUTE $3 »]( [CONTRIBUTE $7 »]( [Or a custom donation »]( Thank you, Ritchie Paid for by Torres For Congress [PO Box 580303, Bronx, NY 10458](#) [www.torres.nyc](#) Ritchie Torres represents the future of the Democratic Party. Raised by a single mother in public housing, Ritchie personally understands the hardships that working families endure. At age 25, Ritchie made history as the youngest elected official to serve on the New York City Council. He fought tirelessly for the working families of The Bronx, and now, he's fighting for those families and for progressive values in Congress. He is the first openly gay Afro Latino ever elected to Congress. Ritchie is a champion for progressive policies to fight poverty and to improve the lives of families just like the one he was raised in. {NAME}, please, consider making a [one-time contribution by clicking here](. To make the most powerful lasting impact and to join Ritchie in the fight for progressive values in Congress, make a [monthly sustaining contribution by clicking here](. Click here to [receive fewer emails](. Click here to [unsubscribe](. [Donate Once a Month to Help Ritchie »]( [Donate Just One Time »](