“Be loud, be proud and find your people.” – Lillian Rivera, ’95
My name is Lillian Rivera (she/her), and I graduated in 1995 from the Newark College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in Theatre Arts. One of my fondest memories at Rutgers was facilitating diversity workshops with Dean James Credle and including representation of the LGBT community. It was challenging for students participating, and strength building for me as a young activist. I came out as a student while at Rutgers, and I desired more visible role models.
Currently, I’m the Director of Advocacy & Capacity Building at the Hetrick-Martin Institute. I’ve have had the privilege of working in partnership with LGBTQ+ youth through my work at Hetrick-Martin Institute for the last 15 years. I’ve also participated in media opportunities through GLAAD on Latino media in response to my personal commitment to increasing visibility for Latina LGBTQ+ people.
