Dominican actress Laura Gómez says Latin America still has a ways to go when it comes to embracing and empowering the LGBT community.
The "Orange Is The New Black" actress celebrated LGBT pride at the Logo TV Trailblazers Honors on June 23, where she chatted with NBC News about her role as an ally and the work that remains in regards to queer rights in Latin America.
"I want to remind everyone that I am here as an ally, "Gómez said. “I want to remind that even though there is so much that has been done, and there’s so much progress, definitely, there's still not... some voices have not been heard elsewhere."
She went on to add that, though she’s proud of her heritage, the fact that so many LGBT people in her home country and throughout Latin America still cannot live freely and openly makes her very angry.
So Gómez said that her goal is to let LGBT Latinxs know that, as someone from the Latino community, she's there to support and accept them as they are. "I like to be a part of that solution, instead of the problem," she explained.
Gómez continued celebrating and supporting the LGBT community Sunday, along with her "OITNB" cast mates Selenis Leyva, Emma Myles and Jessica Pimentel at New York City’s Pride Parade.
Check out some of the photos, below, she posted on Instagram from the event.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Jessica Pimentel as Maria Ruiz.
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