Pride, Power, and Purpose: Meet the Leaders of Raben’s LGBTQ+Strategies

Pride is both a protest and a celebration, and in 2025, that truth feels more urgent than ever. LGBTQ+ issues have been a core part of Raben’s work since our founding. Through LGBTQ+Strategies, we partner with clients, coalitions, and communities to advance progress and confront the growing threats to equality head-on.

LGBTQ+Strategies is one way we do that. The team was formed to support our internal culture, uplift queer leadership, and deepen our work with LGBTQ+ clients and partners nationwide. It’s led by four remarkable individuals, each bringing lived experience, strategy, and vision to the fight.

We sat down with each of them to discuss Pride, community, and what it means to lead this work in such a moment.

Meet them below.

Shawn Gaylord

What inspired you to help lead LGBTQ+Strategies at Raben, and what keeps you committed to the work?

Being able to add my voice to those who aren't being heard or aren't being heard enough. That could be a young person facing bullying in school, an asylee being mistreated as they seek safety, or a trans woman who faces violence in the streets.

What does Pride look like for you this year, and why was it important to show up that way?

Pride in 2025 for me is about freeing Andry. Andry is a gay hairdresser and make-up artist from Venezuela who fled persecution in his home country to seek safety in America. He followed all the rules. And yet, he was shipped off to a notoriously dangerous and violent prison in El Salvador and denied due process. It has been more than 90 days since anyone has spoken to him, and we know he is particularly vulnerable. I have been honored to support the work of Immigrant Defenders who are representing Andry and doing everything they can to secure his release so he can make his case. You can read more at freeAndry.org.

What do you hope LGBTQ+Strategies signals to both our internal teams and external partners?

Raben is committed to fighting for justice and equality until it is achieved, and we recognize the creativity and dedication that exist, and we are privileged to help support that work.

What does authentic inclusion look like to you beyond Pride Month?

We need LGBTQ people at the table when the subject is immigration, when the subject is health care, when the subject is criminal justice reform, and when the subject is education. And we need to show up for our friends in these movements also.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders and advocates?

Understand that we cannot and will not lose the fight for full inclusion and equality. We had hoped it would be a smooth and steady progression, but, as is always the case, we have had our losses and setbacks. We are in a dire moment right now, but we will come together and win.

What’s one emoji that captures your Pride Month energy this year? And why?

👊🏼 - I’d say one with its hands up fighting back because I don’t plan to give up the fight!

Shapri LoMaglio

What inspired you to help lead LGBTQ+Strategies at Raben, and what keeps you committed to the work?

I came out later in my life, and so I went from being part of a privileged majority to being part of a historically (and currently) discriminated against minority. While it's pretty safe for me to be a gay person in the United States it is absolutely not safe to be a trans person nor is it safe to be queer in much of the world. I want to do everything I can to use the many privileges I have to speak up for the queer community, defend those who are being targeted, and try to secure basic civil rights protections for our community here and abroad.

What does Pride look like for you this year, and why was it important to show up that way?

This year, Pride meant marching in World Pride here in DC with my church. I carried a sign which said "Trans People are Children of God Too." It was clear from the march how much the affirmation of a spiritual community meant to people and how much the specific sign resonated. I've never marched before, and it was so amazing to be part of celebrating and affirming our community at a time when we are uniquely under assault, specifically Trans people, and newly married with the Southern Baptists voting to seek the overturn of Obergefell. Celebration felt like an act of resistance and solidarity, and it was so fun! It was also such a powerful experience to affirm the humanity and dignity of our community, especially our trans brothers and sisters, during a time when they are being targeted at every turn.

What do you hope LGBTQ+Strategies signals to both our internal teams and external partners?

I hope it demonstrates our commitment to queer inclusion and equality throughout the year, not just during Pride. We've the experience, both professional and personal, to help internal and external partners navigate the challenging questions of how to regain the progress we’ve lost and develop and implement the strategies necessary to secure our rights fully for the long term.

What does authentic inclusion look like to you beyond Pride Month?

I think, recognizing that the queer community, along with many others, is feeling under assault right now and so checking in with your family, friends, and colleagues can make them feel really known, seen and cared for right now. Employers can also celebrate Pride and ensure that their health benefits include some of the unique needs that queer individuals require.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders and advocates?

Try to find points of agreement with people more than you look for points of disagreement. We cannot only accept perfect allies. Let's befriend and draw close anyone who is willing to defend our basic rights, even if they may disagree about some of the details or hold a non-affirming theology.

What’s one emoji that captures your Pride Month energy this year? And why?

A drag Hamburglar marched right behind us as part of the McDonald's float, and their presence brought me a lot of joy! It was such a great reminder that queer and trans people are in every family, every church, every community throughout the world. Whether you know we are queer or not depends on whether you make it safe for us to tell you.

Diego Sanchez

What inspired you to help lead LGBTQ+Strategies at Raben, and what keeps you committed to the work?

I've had the fantastic opportunity to work with some of the most talented and tireless advocates across the country. With the mix of knowledge and experience that Shawn, Shapri, Aladdin, and I bring to the table, we aim to guide organizations in this space to maximize their reach and impact, ultimately improving lives in our community.

What does Pride look like for you this year, and why was it important to show up that way?

For me, Pride in 2025 is supporting my local LGBTQ+ community and standing with my friends and neighbors in the face of political, cultural, and violent attacks. Texas has been a frontline and the epicenter of efforts to erase our rights and histories. Coming together to show up and speak out is vital.

What do you hope LGBTQ+Strategies signals to both our internal teams and external partners?

As members of the LGBTQ+ community ourselves, we bring empathy and understanding of the very complex issues our community faces. These issues also affect us personally. For this reason, we have an even greater commitment and passion to help solve these issues alongside our colleagues and partners.

What does authentic inclusion look like to you beyond Pride Month?

When you let the work speak for itself. It could be volunteering at a small LGBTQ+ organization, standing firm to preserve diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, or staying informed and advocating as an ally—actions that demonstrate genuine care and go beyond the typical pinkwashing often seen in June.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders and advocates?

You may be asked to compromise, stay quiet, or water down your asks. Know your non-negotiables. Protect your integrity.

What’s one emoji that captures your Pride Month energy this year? And why?

😅 Trying to stay upbeat, but it's crazy out there!

Aladdin Fawal

What inspired you to help lead LGBTQ+Strategies at Raben, and what keeps you committed to the work?

I have a desire to change the tide on how LGBTQ+ people are viewed and treated in less accepting areas.

What does Pride look like for you this year, and why was it important to show up that way?

Resilience in the face of political opposition.

What do you hope LGBTQ+Strategies signals to both our internal teams and external partners?

Love is the most important thing, and it is for everyone.

What does authentic inclusion look like to you beyond Pride Month?

True inclusion requires us a rejection to exclusion — and working to address all the ways exclusion rears its head.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders and advocates?

Keep going — if it were easy, it would be done already.

What’s one emoji that captures your Pride Month energy this year? And why?

❤️ (A growing heart) - seeing pride alive and strong despite the turn of the political narrative against the community.