By: Rafael Reyes Orona, Director of Operations and Technology

At Latinos for Education, we have five core values and “Agitate When Necessary” has always been my favorite. During Pride Month, I can feel it at the forefront of my mind as I look around and see colors, feel unbridled joy, and hear music bursting and reverberating from my community.  

Pride Month is often framed as a time of joy, celebration, and vibrant visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. And it should be. But it is also a sacred time to pause. To reflect. To remember that Pride did not start as a parade. It started as a protest, with bricks thrown, voices raised and lives risked. 

The Stonewall uprising in 1969 was an act of resistance against police brutality, harassment, and systemic oppression. And it was led by Black and Brown trans women who were tired of being criminalized for existing. People who knew something about being violently disenfranchised, like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. 

They did not just fight for queer rights; they fought for all marginalized people. They understood what some still resist: that liberation is collective. That race, gender identity, class, and immigration status are not separate issues—they are deeply interconnected. 

Their fight was not only about bars and bathrooms. It was about housing. About healthcare. About schools and dignity. Sylvia and Marsha agitated not just for themselves, but for unhoused youth, sex workers, immigrants, and the poor. Because intersectionality was not a theory to them; it was survival. 

The battle for equality continues today as LGBTQ students face a number of challenges threatening their ability to succeed. These issues are deeply tied to the same systemic inequities we fight in education every day.  

Our work at Latinos for Education is dedicated to placing more leaders in education who are committed to improving educational outcomes for Latino students. But not only are we infusing more leaders in education who understand the issues that Latino children face, but also those who understand that equity without queerness, without Blackness, without immigrant justice, is not equity at all, and leadership is not meaningful unless it is bold enough to agitate the status quo of exclusivity and assimilation. 

We must channel the courage of those who fought before us. We must agitate for an inclusive curriculum, safe learning environments, and leadership that reflects and understands the diverse issues our students face. For school policies that uplift and center the voices of our communities and address their needs. Policies that protect our youth and their right to a high-quality education.  

So, as Pride Month comes to a close, I invite you to celebrate and also to remember. To honor the legacies of those who risked everything so we could have moments like these. And to act. 

Agitate like Sylvia. Like Marsha. Like previous generations did when they traversed borders to uncharted territories, raised their voices, and demanded better for themselves and for their families. 

Because agitation is love in action, and love is why we fight. 

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Rafael Reyes Orona is the Director of Operations and Technology at Latinos for Education, where he leads IT initiatives, implements cybersecurity-focused policies, and oversees technology platforms to align with organizational goals. He develops operational systems, drives innovation, and applies cutting-edge practices, including AI, to enhance effectiveness. Previously, Rafael managed operations and partnerships at Climb Higher Colorado, fostering collaboration to address education challenges. 

A Denver native raised by a single, immigrant mother, Rafael’s experiences with educational inequities fuel his passion for ensuring all students have equal opportunities to succeed. He holds a B.A. in American Studies from Wesleyan University.