Ritchie Torres Makes History As First Openly Gay Afro-Latino Member Of Congress

Ritchie Torres has made history as the first openly gay, Afro-Latino member of Congress.

History has been made over and over again with this presidential election as people across the country not only vote for who they want to lead their country as commander in chief, but also who they want to lead as Senators and Representatives. One of the trailblazers to join Congress is Torres, 32, who was just elected as the U.S. Representative-elect for New York’s 15th District. He is now the first openly gay Afro-Latino to join Congress, Republican Patrick Delices.

“It’s an honor to be heading to Washington to help fight against the intolerance that many in the LGBTQ+ community face because of who we choose to love. In me, you have an unrelenting fighter for the equality and fairness that every single American deserves. Representation matters, and this campaign proved that,” said the congressman-elect in a statement obtained by BET.com to supporters, the outlet reports.

He continued: “I’m so proud of our historic win. And as a kid from the Bronx who grew up poor, it’s the honor of my life to fight for working families and tackle the issues that matter to everyday people. There’s a lot to get done. We’re in the throes of an out-of-control pandemic, the gap between the haves and the have nots is widening, and marginalized communities have been severely hurt by backward, often racist and bigoted Republican policies. In the coming months, I will continue to engage with you and ask for your help as we pursue solutions to these significant challenges.”

Torres says he plans on joining the Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), The Hill reports. U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas, a California Democrat, said celebrated Torres’ victory. “His victory is a testament to the Hispanic Caucus’ commitment to expanding our Caucus with diverse voices by investing in candidates like Ritchie Torres, who is soon to be the first openly LGBTQ+ Afro- Latino Member of Congress.”