Jarrett Barrios is a pioneer as the first Latino in the Massachusetts State House and as the first Spanish-speaker to head a national gay rights advocacy group.
Jarrett Barrios talking with constituents.
Proud of his Hispanic heritage and deep roots in Florida, Barrios describes himself as a “Tampa Cuban” to differentiate himself from the more conservative Cubans based in Miami.
Barrios moved to Cambridge to attend Harvard University, where he became interested in state politics. Elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1998, Barrios moved to the Senate in 2002, where he served until 2007.
His first bill required hospitals to provide translators. He subsequently helped lead the effort within the state legislature to protect marriage equality.
Barrios became the president of GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, in 2009. He travels widely and maintains offices on both coasts.
Harvard Magazine profiled Barrios in 2003; it provides a window into the life of a talented public servant with progressive Hispanic roots.
