David M. Pérez
The Next Generation Awards 2012
David M Perez
(Photo by Julian P. Vankim)
”The class was about sociology, something I had never studied that I was really interested in learning about,” Pérez says. ”And with him as a priest and having the gay identity, I really loved it, felt that it really aligned with my own work, being gay and being involved in the church. I became good friends with him. He understands being in a faith community and being gay, kind of working through those different identities. He’s a great guy.”
Palacios returns the compliment, saying, ”The thing I admire most is he’s a critical thinker. He looks at the larger picture. People in D.C. tend to get into their silos of interest. David is trying to do multiple silos.”
That’s something of an understatement, considering Pérez’s various commitments, on top of his demanding full-time job as director of development at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation’s largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization, founded in 1929.
Pérez helped launch the area’s first gay Latino softball team, Ball Busters – a nod to his impish sense of humor – which has since morphed into a kickball team.
He’s fully committed to the spiritual home he found in D.C., St. Thomas’s Parish Episcopal Church in Dupont Circle – even if he characterizes his contribution as an usher and cleaning up after the church’s weekly coffee hour as a steep pull-back from past participation at the church.
”Right now, I’m just part of what they call the Parrish Life Cluster.” Whatever the terminology, Pérez’s commitment to the church is deep.
”What I love about the Episcopal Church is they talk about the foundation of faith is Scripture, tradition and reason,” he says. ”I had gone from a very boxed-in, more narrow faith, to more progressive. They are very progressive in terms of social justice, of being LGBT-inclusive. I love the community there.”
Possibly Pérez’s greatest commitment beyond LULAC, though, is his current term as president of D.C.’s Latino GLBT History Project, founded in 2000 by longtime D.C. activist José Gutierrez. Now in the middle of his two-year term, he’s filled the post with gusto, extending the organization to help form the grassroots D.C. Queer People of Color collective (DC QPOC), grow Latino Pride and better establish the organization online, among other feats.
”José Gutierrez, the founder and immediate past president, is one of my mentors,” Pérez says. ”He really showed me a lot about getting involved here, locally in D.C. Working at a national organization, I said, ‘You know, I want to volunteer in a local group to give back to where I live.’ I felt like I was disconnected. And this is my home. I’m a registered voter here. I pay taxes.”
Today, Pérez is the embodiment of a committed community member, making D.C. his genuine home, and enriching it daily. The Metro Weekly Next Generation Award is a testament to that dedication, and Pérez is thrilled by the recognition.
”I’m really honored. This is the first award in a really long time I’ve gotten. And some of the other awardees are really good friends, so I’m really honored.
”I really love working in the advocacy space, for an advocacy organization. Doing something good for the community, that really excites me, makes me want to work, to go back and be involved in my volunteer work.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
