SCHMIDT KRAMER. JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH AND ALL MONTH WE’RE HIGHLIGHTING EVENTS AND PEOPLE IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY TONIGHT. NEWS 8 JEREMY JENKINS INTRODUCES US TO RICARDO ALMODOVAR, A COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST HOPING TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE NO MATTER WHAT TIME IT IS. RICARDO ALMODOVAR IS FIGHTING FOR A CAUSE. HEY, GOOD MORNING. OR IS IT AFTERNOON? RIGHT? OH MY GOODNESS. FROM 9 TO 5 IT’S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICE. RICARDO IS INVOLVED IN ISSUES SPANNING FROM VOTER ACCESS TO EQUALITY. THERE’S SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS FOR INSTANCE, OR ADVISORS OR CONSULTANTS. AND WE NEED TO HEAR FROM FOLKS THAT REGULARLY AREN’T, YOU KNOW, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED STEM FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE DURING HIS YOUNGER YEARS, HE WAS ONE OF THE UNDERAGE PEOPLE. HE SERVES TODAY. I FELT THE STING OF BOTH RACISM AND HOMOPHOBIA. AND IT REALLY HURTS BECAUSE IT’S SOMETHING THAT I CAN’T HELP AS A HUMAN BEING. I DIDN’T CHOOSE TO BE GAY JUST AS MUCH AS I DIDN’T CHOOSE TO BE LATINO. IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT I AM BOTH RICARDO CAME OUT WHEN HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD, COMING FROM A CONSERVATIVE CATHOLIC FAMILY. HE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT INITIALLY. A LOT OF FOLKS THOUGHT THAT IT’D BE A PHASE THAT I WOULD GET OVER IT. YOU KNOW, I’VE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME TO PRAY THE GAY AWAY. HE FOUND COMMUNITY THROUGH MUSIC, JOINING THE QUEER BIG APPLE CORPS SEEN HERE AT THE MACY’S DAY PARADE ADVOCACY FOLLOWED THROUGH ROLES WITH LANCASTER PRIDE, THE PA ADVISORY COMMISSION ON LGBT PLUS AFFAIRS AND THE CAMPUS VOTE PROJECT. MY DRIVE TO DO THIS WORK IS IS TO REALLY ENSURE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE SAME STRUGGLES OR SIMILAR STRUGGLES. RICARDO’S MESSAGE TO YOUNG LGBTQ PLUS LATIN YOUTH BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE. WE CAN CREATE AND DRAFT OUR OWN HISTORY. AND THEN WE NEED TO PAY HOMAGE TO THESE IMPORTANT FIGURES IN HISTORY. BUT WE ALSO CAN BE PART OF HISTORY OURSELVES. AND IN FACT, HISTORY IS IN THE MAKING EVERY SINGLE DAY.