When I was growing up, there was nobody.”
“But even when the whole family is not embracing, there is always someone in the family who is. “I think what kids hear today is that ‘I don't care if you are gay, I just don't want you to be flaunting it,’” he said. While Sanchez Soto points to the dramatic movements in society’s acceptance of LGBT people as progress, he notes that young people who are coming to terms with their sexual orientation still face psychological and emotional trauma. They discussed the gains and empowerment in their community – as well as the ongoing challenges that LGBT Latinos continue to face in 2015. In recognition of June as Gay Pride Month, NBC News spoke with Latinos and Latinas across the country about the lives of LGBT people. I think young people today feel more empowered, if not necessarily more comfortable.” “Back then, if we felt like we weren’t going to be accepted, we got married or turned away from our families or didn't act on our sexual identity.
“Coming out these days is very different for young people than it was for people like me,” he said. Today Sanchez Soto, 57, is the Executive Director of New York’s Latino Pride Center and well aware of the societal changes that have made life different – if not easier – for LGBT young people.
