Vice President Kamala Harris put her pride for the LBGTQ+ community on display Saturday in Washington, D.C. Harris surprised marchers by joining the Capital Pride Walk and Rally. She wore a pink blazer and a “love is love” shirt and walked with the procession for about a block.
“Happy Pride,” Harris told members of the crowd as she waved to people cheering on sidewalks. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, wearing a t-shirt with rainbow lettering, joined Harris and the other marchers headed toward the Capital Pride rally at Freedom Plaza.
In brief remarks, Harris called for the passage of the Equality Act and said the Biden administration understands the importance of advancing LGBTQ+ rights.
Pride flags will remain banned from U.S. military installations, even during Pride Month, the Pentagon says, upholding a policy former Defense Secretary Mark Esper established last July.
The Defense Department “will maintain the existing policy from July 2020 regarding the display or depiction of unofficial flags,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Friday at a news briefing, confirming that “there won’t be an exception this month for the Pride flag.”
However, Kirby noted that the choice “in no way reflects any lack of respect or admiration for people of the LGBTQ+ community, personnel in and out of uniform who serve in this department.”
“We’re proud of them,” he added. Kirby explained that the decision was made to avoid challenges that could arise from making an exception to the policy.
Kirby noted that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will participate in Pride Month festivities at the Pentagon this week.
Austin “encourages all commands to likewise find ways to recognize the service and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in defense of this nation,” Kirby said in a statement.
The Trump administration’s flag policy was put in place to limit what flags were able to be flown at military installations and was notable for excluding the Confederate flag, NBC News previously reported.
Esper, a Trump appointee, confirmed the modification in a July 17, 2020, memo that contains guidance on what flags are allowed to be flown. Permitted flags included U.S. state and territory flags, military service flags, the prisoners of war and missing in action flag, and several others.
The Modern Military Association of America, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ service members and veterans, shared a tweet Friday calling on the Pentagon to “reconsider its misguided policy” and authorize the use of Pride flags on military installations. The group also noted that President Joe Biden had promised to do so on the campaign trail last year.
In a tweet last July, then-candidate Biden said: “Banning the Confederate flag from military installations was long overdue. Banning the LGBTQ Pride flag — the very symbol of diversity and inclusion — is undeniably wrong. The Pentagon should ensure it is authorized, or as President, I will.”
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.
On the first day of his presidency, Biden issued an executive orderthat expanded federal laws preventing discrimination on the basis of sex to include LGBTQ individuals. Days later, the president reversed the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people from openly serving in the military.
Days before the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, U.S. Senators passed a bill designating the site of the former nightclub as a national memorial. The legislation passed unanimously Wednesday afternoon after its sponsor, Sen. Rick Scott, asked that it and its companion bills be approved by unanimous consent in observance of the five years since the mass shooting.
H.R. 49, the U.S. House’s version of the bill, and Senate Resolution 265, both honoring the victims of the shooting, also passed the Senate unanimously. Sen. Marco Rubio, who co-sponsored the bill alongside Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), expressed condolences for those affected by the tragedy, calling it the “deadliest attack on American soil” since Sept. 11, 2001.
Read the full article. The anniversary is Saturday.
After a year when Pride celebrations had to go virtual, members of the LGBTQ community and their allies are eager to shine bright in 2021. And as in years past, numerous brands have launched special Pride products and capsule collections that celebrate love, diversity and inclusion. However, advocates say that authentic support means more than just a rainbow stripe on a T-shirt.
“Brands need to approach Pride not as a marketing moment to sell products and profit from LGBTQ people, but [as] a time to loudly use their reach and influence to affirm our community and support advocacy organizations in authentic and impactful ways,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of the media watchdog group GLAAD.
Companies that truly walk the walk donate to and uplift LGBTQ organizations, added Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group. “These businesses provide an invaluable platform to further the fight for LGBTQ equity and inclusivity,” he said.
Some organizations are contributing a portion of proceeds from Pride products to groups like GLAAD and HRC, while others are making direct donations so LGBTQ organizations can continue their vital missions. “We are thrilled to see so many companies and brands stepping up to support Pride this year,” said Shira Kogan, director of corporate development at the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization. “Beyond the essential financial support, there’s also a direct benefit for the community when brands are loud about their support of Pride,” she added. “More than half of youth said brands who support the LGBTQ community positively impact how they feel about being LGBTQ.”
Below, we’ve gathered some of our favorite offerings for Pride 2021, including clothing, toys, personal care products and more.
On June 1, LEGO launched its first LGBTQ-themed set, which comes with 11 monochromatic figures, each with an assigned color, and 346 pieces creating a rainbow cascade.
“I wanted to create a model that symbolises inclusivity and celebrates everyone, no matter how they identify or who they love,” said Matthew Ashton, Lego’s vice president for design who developed the limited-edition set.
In January, Old Navy announced “Project WE,” a collection of T-shirts created in collaboration with diverse artists to honor International Women’s Day, Juneteenth, LatinX Heritage Month and other cultural touchstones.
For Pride, the company has tapped queer artist Edward Granger, who designed a unisex rib-knit black crew with the world “Love” colored in a variety of hues. An alternate “Pride” version in white presents an abstract rainbow of geometric shapes.
“This is our love letter to the LGBTQIA+ community,” Granger said. “Love yourself, stay connected to who you are, and never give up.”In celebration of the Project We initiative, Old Navy is donating $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support youth arts programs in communities across the United States.
For the second Pride season running, Skittles has given up the rainbow in a tip of its hat to the LGBTQ community. Limited-edition Skittles Pride Packs feature gray packaging on the outside and all gray candies inside. (They’re still jammed with delicious strawberry, orange, grape, apple and lemon flavors, but good luck telling which is which.) During the month of June, $1 from each pack will be donated to GLAAD, up to $100,000.
Sarah Long, chief marketing officer for Mars Wrigley North America, said the returning campaign symbolizes the candymaker’s commitment “to shape a world that is connected, caring and celebratory.”
“Skittles giving up their rainbow means so much more than just removing the colors from our Skittles packs, and we’re excited to use our platform to do our part in driving visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, creating better moments and more smiles,” Long said.
Limited-edition packs are available for purchase in 4-ounce Share Size Packs and 15.6-ounce resealable Sharing Size Stand Up Pouches at Walmart, Target and other retailers.
The Rainbow Disney 2021 collection includes dozens of tees, polos, mugs, backpacks, hats, face masks and more, available online and in select Disney stores and theme parks.
In celebration of Pride Month 2021 The Walt Disney Company is donating to LGBTQ organizations around the world, including ARELAS in Spain, Famiglie Arcobaleno in Italy, Nijiiro Diversity in Japan and, here in the U.S., GLSEN, which works to ensure all students learn and thrive in a safe and supportive environment.
“We chose to showcase real, bold and wonderful individuals celebrating a virtual prom in a safe and welcoming environment” said Ugg president Andrea O’Donnell in a statement. “We wanted to express that there is beauty in what makes you different and that you should never feel the need to apologize for who you are or who you love.”
The Disco Stripe Slide comes in the colors of the Pride rainbow or in the pink, blue and white of the transgender flag. It’s comfortable and stylish — and $25 from each pair purchased on UGG.com goes to GLAAD, up to $125,000.
The classic card game gets a Pride makeover with special rainbow-colored cards available exclusively at Target.com and Target stores nationwide. Mattel will donate $50,000 to the It Gets Better Project.
PetSmart’s You Are Loved collection includes rainbow-tinted plush toys, pet clothing, collars, bandanas and more. A fun item from the collection is the Pink Pride Pet Dress — it slips on and off in a snap, and comes with a message of pride and an adorable tutu. This year, PetSmart is donating $100,000 to GLSEN.
The old-school cool shoe brand is keeping it simple for Pride 2021, giving its classic 1461 oxford a rainbow flag on the heel tab and a rainbow Airwair heel-loop. You can upgrade your look even further with rainbow laces and Dr. Martens athletic socks with rainbow stripes, available in black or white.
“At Dr. Martens, we know our many diverse wearers have got us to where we are today,” the company said in a statement. “That’s why we celebrate individuality and diversity in all forms.” As in years past, Dr. Martens is donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project.
The couture house got a little risque with its Pride capsule range this year, including baseball caps, sports bras, shirts, bracelets, fake-fur coin purses and a jockstrap with a rainbow waistband. The collection includes an oversize pink hooded sweat jacket emblazoned with the word “Gay,” stylized like a GAP logo.
Like the rest of the Pride collection, the sweat jacket was designed by Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia, who was raised in the republic of Georgia where LGBTQ people are often the targets of bigotry and violence.
“I’m gay. I grew up in a society where I couldn’t have worn that, and there are places in the world that you cannot today,” Gvasalia told Vogue back when the collection was previewed. “It’s important to push through against homophobia. I’m not someone who goes out in the street and shouts. But this is the political fashion activism I can do.”
Balenciaga is donating 15 percent of sales from Pride items to The Trevor Project.
Vans’ Pride 2021 Collection goes to the dark side — with slick black Sk8-Hi boots with a thin rainbow stripe. This classic high-top also includes padded collars, reinforced toe caps and Vans’ signature rubber waffle outsoles. Looking to make a brighter statement? The collection also includes a kaleidoscope of slip-ons, sneakers, tees, tanks, laces and more.
This year, Vans is making a $200,000 donation to organizations that support the LGBTQ community around the globe, like GLSEN, Where Love is Illegal, Casa 1 and Tokyo Rainbow Pride.
This Pride, NYX is partnering with HBO’s “Legendary” to celebrate the ballroom scene with a #NYXCosmeticsBall Instagram challenge that sees contestants competing for a $5,000 prize. The category, of course, is FACE.
To get you started on your ball look, NYX is launching a limited-edition collection featuring a Metal Play Palette, Shape Loud Liners, Epic Wear Liner Sticks and the Born to Glow Highlighter that will bring a colorful ultra-metallic sheen to your mug. This year, NYX is also donating over $100,000 to global Pride efforts, including a donation to the LA LGBT Center.
EFFEN commissioned Chicago-based queer artist and street muralist Sam Kirk to design the label for its Pride bottle, which celebrates the intersectionality and vibrancy of the Black and LGBTQ communities. Consumers can also personalize their EFFEN Pride 365 bottles with vinyl decals from queer nonbinary Afrolatinx artist Acacia Rodriguez and trans artist Kyle Lasky.
This year, EFFEN is partnering with Allies in Arts, which works to promote underrepresented women, BIPOC and LGBTQ artists. For each 750 ml bottle sold, EFFEN will donate $1 to Allies in Arts.
Happy Socks is switching it up for Pride this year: Instead of launching a large-scale campaign, the company donated the campaign’s entire $20,000 budget to InterPride, an organization promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex communities around the world.
The company is also launching a new Pride collection, featuring four rainbow-centric styles available in adult and kids’ sizes, as single pairs or in gift boxes. The collection includes socks inspired by the “Progress” Pride Flag designed by Daniel Quasar. They feature a broader spectrum of the LGBTQ representation, including pink, light blue and white stripes to represent transgender and non-binary individuals, and black and brown to symbolize marginalized communities of color, as well as those affected by AIDS. Ten percent of the profits from all Pride collection items will be donated to InterPride.
Ranging from $18 to $148, Levi’s 2021 Pride Collection “All Pronouns. All Love” puts emphasis on respecting people’s pronouns, with the phrase “they/them, she/her, he/him, we” emblazoned on graphic tees, jackets and a super-sleek tank top. The gender-neutral collection also includes overalls, jumpsuits, denim jackets and accessories like rainbow ombre suspenders and boxer briefs.
Levi’s is donating 100 percent of net proceeds from the collection to OutRight Action International, which works to advance human LGBTQ rights around the world.
The popular restaurant chain is celebrating Pride with a decadent dessert: six layers of rainbow-colored vanilla cake piled high with vanilla icing and sprinkles, available at participating Friday’s locations or for delivery.
“For more than 50 years, TGI Fridays has celebrated people of all stripes, whether team members or guests,” said Sara Bittorf, chief experience officer at TGI Fridays. “We are committed to creating an environment where people can feel free to come together, socialize, and be themselves.” A portion of every slice sold, up to $25,000, will support GLSEN.
An increasing number of young adults identify as nonheterosexual and noncisgender, according to a new global survey from Ipsos.
The results, released Wednesday, are based on internet surveys of more than 19,000 people in 27 countries ages 16 or 18 (depending on the country) to 74. The surveys were conducted in the languages of each country.
Respondents in Generation Z, which includes people born after 1997, were nearly four times as likely than those over 40 (4 percent compared to 1 percent) to identify as transgender, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, gender-fluid or “in another way.”
They were also the age group most likely to identify as something other than heterosexual. Overall, 9 percent of respondents identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual or asexual; for Generation Z, the figure doubles to 18 percent.
Previous surveys of young Americans have pointed to this phenomenon: In a Gallup poll last year, 5.6 percent of U.S. respondents overall identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, while 16 percent of those in Generation Z reported being LGBTQ.
“The patterns that we see in the U.S. are definitely not unique to the U.S.,” Nicolas Boyon, senior vice president of public affairs at Ipsos, said of the higher rate of gender and sexual fluidity among Gen Z. “It’s a global phenomenon.”
Worldwide, 1.4 percent of those surveyed identified as gender minorities, with Sweden (2.9 percent), Germany (2.5 percent) and Argentina (2.3) having the highest percentages of respondents who identify as transgender, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, gender-fluid or “in another way.” South Africa (0.3 percent) and Belgium (0.5 percent) had the lowest.https://dataviz.nbcnews.com/projects/20210608-lgbtq-survey/index.html?initialWidth=560&childId=embed-20210608-lgbtq-survey&parentTitle=Nearly%201%20in%205%20young%20adults%20say%20they%27re%20not%20straight%2C%20global%20survey%20finds&=
India (17 percent), Brazil (15 percent) and Spain (12 percent) had the highest percentages of respondents who identified as nonheterosexual. China and South Korea had the lowest.https://dataviz.nbcnews.com/projects/20210608-lgbtq-survey-orientation/index.html?initialWidth=560&childId=embed-20210608-lgbtq-survey-orientation&parentTitle=Nearly%201%20in%205%20young%20adults%20say%20they%27re%20not%20straight%2C%20global%20survey%20finds&=Exposure to sexual and gender minorities
Worldwide, 42 percent of survey respondents said they have a gay or lesbian relative, friend or colleague, while 24 percent said they know someone who is bisexual; 10 percent said they known someone who is transgender, and 9 percent said they know someone who is nonbinary, gender-nonconforming or gender-fluid. The likelihood is higher among women than among men in all four groups, and there is wide national variation. In Brazil, for example, 66 percent report having a gay or lesbian relative, friend or colleague, but in Japan and South Korea, the number is only 7 percent.
When it comes to speaking out on behalf of LGBTQ people, nearly one-third of all respondents around the world said they had done so. Consistent with the other findings, the survey found that Gen Z is much more outspoken than older generations, with 40 percent saying they have spoken out against anti-LGBTQ prejudice.
Eleven percent of respondents across all 27 countries reported having attended a same-sex wedding, from over 20 percent in Mexico and Argentina to 1 percent in Russia.
The survey asked about participation in pro-LGBTQ events, like Pride marches. Globally, 13 percent of all respondents said they had attended such an event, including 54 percent of lesbian and gay respondents and 10 percent of heterosexuals. In Australia, more than 20 percent of respondents reported having attended an event in support of LGBTQ rights, but in Russia, only 1 percent did.
“I’m not surprised that Russia stands out,” said Emil Edenborg, an associate senior lecturer at Stockholm University and an expert on Russia. Edenborg, who was not involved in the survey, said the low level of participation in Pride events in Russia is due, in part, to the country’s so-called gay propaganda law.
“Pride parades are banned in Russia since 2013, as are public expressions in favor of LGBT rights,” he said.
The law not only affects activists, Edenborg said — it also targets social media and any kind of public information, including sexual education information.
“The most harmful effect of this law is the way it impacts young people,” he said. “It really has put a harsh form of censuring on young people, especially limiting their ability to speak out about their sexuality and gender identity.”Same-sex marriage and parenting
The survey found that a global majority are in favor of same-sex marriage. In only two of the 27 countries surveyed, Russia and Malaysia, researchers found majorities in opposition.
Edenborg said same-sex marriage has become a political flashpoint in Russia.
“Same-sex marriage and parenting have been the main features of the homophobic and stigmatizing discourse of the state. Those issues have been highlighted as the biggest threats,” he said.
Worldwide, women are more likely to support same-sex marriage than men. One’s level of education did not play a role in attitudes. Since Ipsos’ last global survey of opinions on same-sex marriage, in 2013, there has not been a drop in support in any country. There was growth in support in most countries, with the U.S. having the second-highest growth, following Argentina, where support grew by 25 percent.
Latin American countries demonstrated relatively high levels of support for same-sex marriage, with 82 percent of respondents in Chile and 76 percent in Mexico in favor of same-sex marriage or some type of legal recognition of gay unions. Jordi Díez, a professor of political science at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, said it is a common misconception that Latin America is uniformly conservative.
“You have much higher levels of tolerance in Latin America than in the U.S. There is no question about that,” he said.
He also pointed to the long history of gay and lesbian activism in Latin America. “Gay and lesbian mobilization in Latin America is actually quite old. The visibility has been there, and these demands have been there for a long time,” he said.
Several Latin American countries — Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Costa Rica — have adopted same-sex marriage laws. The laws, Díez said, have a “normalizing effect,” increasing support for the policies and acceptance of homosexuality.
Support for equal parental rights is also high worldwide, with 61 percent of respondents saying same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples. In only four countries — Russia, Malaysia, Poland and Peru — were there majorities in opposition to adoption by same-sex couples.
Overall, the survey found that women are more supportive of parental rights for same-sex couples and that boomers are more likely to support adoption rights than Gen X. Canada and the Netherlands stand out as having the most support for the parental rights of same-sex couples, with 81 percent of Canadians and 83 percent of Dutch in favor of equal rights for same-sex parents.Visibility and equality
Around the world, a majority support lesbians’, gays’ and bisexuals’ being open about their sexual orientation (51 percent in favor compared to 16 percent in opposition). There is strong support for laws banning discrimination at 55 percent worldwide, but support is more muted on public affection, with 37 percent supporting and 27 percent opposing.
There is also global support for openly lesbian, gay and bisexual athletes on sports teams. In the U.S., 53 percent of respondents support athletes’ being out, similar to the global average of 50 percent.
The same level of support does not appear to exist for transgender athletes’ competing in accordance with their gender identities. On average across the 27 countries, as many respondents support as oppose the idea (32 percent compared to 32 percent).
“The U.S. is one of the countries where there is the most opposition,” said Boyon of Ipsos, with only 27 percent of U.S. respondents in support.
In the U.S., state legislators have introduced a slew of bills this year to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in school sports.Obstacles and next steps for a global survey
Boyon acknowledged that global surveys have their limitations. In particular, he cited the difficulty in crafting a survey to adequately capture the diversity of people’s gender identifications.
“In designing the questionnaires, we realized that no matter what we do, we will miss people,” Boyon said. “We are aware of the challenges of using labels.”
Another issue is translation, Boyon said. “We did not use the word ‘queer’ in the survey, because it doesn’t really translate in a lot of languages.”
Relatedly, the survey was designed in English by researchers based in the U.S. and the U.K. “This is a survey that is designed by Westerners,” Boyon said.
The survey does not claim to be nationally representative in all counties. In countries where the internet is not as accessible, for example, the survey captures the opinions of a relatively urban and digitally connected group.
Boyon said that going forward, he’d like to explore whether Generation Z retains its gender and sexual openness.
“One big question about the trends that we see among younger people is whether the patterns we see in Gen Z will stick over time,” Boyon said, “or whether it just reflects youth and as time goes by they may have more defined identities.”
Two members of Guatemalan civil society who work with the LGBTQ community and people with HIV/AIDS participated in a roundtable with Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday.
Visibles Executive Director Daniel Villatoro and Ingrid Gamboa of the Association of Garifuna Women Living with HIV/AIDS are among the 18 members of Guatemalan civil society who participated in the roundtable that took place at a Guatemala City university. Rigoberta Menchú, an indigenous human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, is among those who also took part.
Villatoro is among those who attended a virtual roundtable with Harris on April 27.
“When we met last time, I was so moved to hear about the work that you have been doing, the work that has been about helping women and children, indigenous, LGBTQ, Afro-descendants, people who have long been overlooked or neglected,” said Harris before Monday’s meeting began.
Visibles in a tweet acknowledged it participated in the roundtable.
“Today we participated in a meeting with the vice president of the United States to talk about development opportunities for Guatemala and the search for inclusive justice,” tweeted Visibles. “We, as an organization, spoke about the importance of addressing discrimination and acts of violence towards LGBTIQ+ people.”
Chosen families” are an important and central concept in the LGBTQ+ community.
Our families often don’t look like the typical nuclear family. Many of our closest relationships might not be with our biological relatives, but with the friends and loved ones we’ve connected with since coming out.
These are our chosen families who help us co-parent, care for us when we’re sick and on whom we rely.
This year, as COVID-19 ravaged our communities, too many of us couldn’t afford to take time off work to care for the people in our lives who mean the most to us.
That’s why we support AB 1041, which would modernize job protected sick leave and family leave laws to include OUR families and reflect the reality of today’s family structures.
The sad truth is that far too many LGBTQ+ people still struggle with family acceptance and don’t have the support of their biological or legally-related families.
When nearly 40% of all homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+, it’s no surprise we go the extra mile to rebuild our families with the people who show up to support us each and every day — whether they’re related to us or not.
But our current leave laws make it impossible to be there for our chosen loved ones in times of crisis:
A 2020 study found that one-third of LGBTQ+ people would rely on friends or chosen family members as caretakers during a health crisis, which doesn’t fit within the outdated definition of family under current leave law.
Gary, LGBTQ+ families may not look like a “traditional” family, but they are ourfamilies nonetheless.
And this month, as we celebrate being Proud Together, it’s important we continue to advocate for laws that recognize the ways we live and allow us to support and care for our loved ones.
Will you take a minute to sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of AB 1041 and help us modernize leave laws leave to include our chosen families?
Food For Thought’s 2nd Annual Our Virtual Table This Sunday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. (PST) Our Virtual Table is three days away and our online auction is going strong! We look forward to virtually celebrating our Food For Thought community! During the event, you’ll hear from Executive Director Ron Karp, a client and our client services team. We’ll also have breakout rooms to allow guests to mingle and socialize with each other and some exciting guest presenters. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) on Sunday at 7 p.m.! Register nowand bid on the amazing auction items below to help us raise funds to support our clients living with serious illnesses.
Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, a high school math teacher and graduate student who has lived in San Antonio since 2013, beat his former boss and incumbent in the runoff race for the San Antonio City Council. With his victory, McKee-Rodriguez became the first out gay Black man ever elected in the state of Texas.
McKee-Rodriguez once worked for his opponent, incumbent City Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan, but left her office in 2019 after facing retaliation for reporting anti-gay discrimination and harassment. Just last week, poll watchers heard two pastors who endorsed Andrews-Sullivan tell congregants voting for McKee-Rodriguez would be a “sin.”
“Jalen shattered a lavender ceiling in Texas, and it came as right-wing state legislators target LGBTQ people and people of color with bigoted policies aimed at rallying their extremist political base,” said former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund. “We need more people of color, young people and LGBTQ people in state and local government who will ensure politicians look to improve the lives of Texans, not further marginalize them. Jalen’s victory is a rejection of the homophobic and racist politicking so fashionable in Austin and it will inspire more LGBTQ Black leaders to run and win.”
McKee-Rodriguez graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio, (UTSA) with a BA in Communication in 2017 and will graduate with a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies this year. McKee-Rodriguez married his husband Nathan, a pharmacy technician, in 2018, and the couple owns a home in the suburban San Antonio Northeast Crossing neighborhood.
