Brayan Minyetty (center) graduates from the Political Leadership Academy in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic has already seen its first LGBTQ candidate for the 2020 elections. Victory Institute trainee, Brayan Minyetty, has launched his primary campaign for City Councilor in Azua with the Dominican Liberation Party (Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, PLD). Brayan graduated from the 6-module “LGBTI Political Leadership Academy in the Dominican Republic” in August 2017, organized by Victory Institute and our local partner, Diversidad Dominicana.
In the previous election cycle, two openly gay men ran for Congress. So far, Brayan is among the first LGBTQ persons to announce his candidacy for 2020. We spoke with Brayan to get the scoop on how his campaign is going and what motivates him to run for office. He told Victory Institute that he hopes to “serve the people, defend rights, but above all be the civil servant of [this] town where the people are the ones driving development for the Municipality of Azua.” Brayan also mentions that he has been utilized the toolset gained through his participation in the LGBTI Political Leadership Academy and has even imparted them to the rest of his campaign team.
Brayan has already hit the streets campaigning in Azua with community members and local media outlets. He plans to continue his on-the-ground campaigning up until the elections, hoping to become the first openly gay City Councilor in the country.
