I grew up as an adopted child in a really poor area, where income inequality was extremely stark, and racism was equally stark. Then in my teen years, I encountered another kind of inequality when I discovered I was queer. I was alienated from the community, and my own foster parents disowned me.
But I was determined to make it on my own, and worked as a journalist, a political staffer, and a software engineer. My passion about injustice also led me to a lot of work as a public speaker. I’ve spoken about reproductive health care rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, income inequality, and other progressive issues. And if I am elected as a Congressperson, I intend to do something about those issues directly.