Over the weekend, Laura Gómez attended the Third Annual LOGO Trailblazers Awards, a special event focused on the achievements and progress of LGBT athletes, entertainers and business leaders. In a recent chat with NBC News, the Orange is the New Black actress highlighted an issue that hits close to home, gay rights in Latin America.
“I want to remind everyone that I am here as an ally,” said Gómez. “That I want to remind them that even thought there is so much that has been done, and there is so much progress — definitely — some voices are not being heard elsewhere.”
The LOGO Trailblazer Awards come after the horrific hate crime that occurred in the Orlando gay night club, Pulse, earlier this month. Out of the 49 tragic deaths that night, at least 36 were Latino. “I’m from the Dominican Republic, I’m very proud to be from where I’m from, but at times I’ve very angry at the fact that we still have issues with someone coming out of the closet freely,” she continued. “If you are out then you have to be at home and you can’t hold hands with someone, let alone talk about gay marriage.”
Although Gómez is very proud of her heritage and home country, the actress says there are many people of the LGBT community who have a hard time living openly and that simply cannot be themselves. Her goal is to someday be of help to someone facing this problem in her community. “I’d like to be a part of that solution, instead of the problem.”
Gómez continued her show of support alongside her fellow OITNB cast at the Pride Parade this Sunday (June 26) in Manhattan, and shared the festivities with her fans through social media. Watch what she had to say to NBC News about gay rights in Latin America in the clip below.