Daniel Ramos Gets the Nod

After a search led by its board of directors, One Colorado officially announced Daniel Ramos as the organization’s new Executive Director.

Before being named One Colorado’s executive director, Ramos helped build the safe schools program as his first project with the advocacy group. Back when Colorado passed House Bill 1254 — a bullying prevention and education bill — which specifically includes the protection of queer youth, the goal was to build a program that trains educators on the best practices to work with queer youth, and working with local school districts to update district policies on anti-bullying.  From there he served as political director and  most recently One Colorado’s Deputy Executive Director.

During Ramos’ time at One Colorado, he has been instrumental in many of the organization’s victories including bringing the freedom to marry to Colorado, creating the 4th largest Gay Straight Alliance network in the country — with 220 GSA’s involved today —, launching a groundbreaking joint organizing project with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and building the support base to include over 60,000 queer people and allies all throughout Colorado.

With the new title, Ramos’ immediate goal is to elect a pro-equality majority in legislature this fall. Without this, Colorado queers will find it hard to pass bills that further progress full equality in the state. Some legislation in the past, such as the move to end gay conversion therapy in Colorado, was shot down by Republicans. Ramos plans to change this in 2017, while building support from the community.

“We have an amazing team that makes the One Colorado machine run,” says Ramos. “This legislative session is an important one and we plan to stand strong and represent all LGBTQ people and allies in every corner of our state.”

For Ramos, One Colorado’s mission of building a fair and just Colorado is personal.

He grew up in the northern Colorado town of Sterling, later graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder and getting his masters of public administration at the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.

Once he graduated college in 2010, he moved to California to work on a congressional race for the Mayor Steve Pougnet of Palm Springs who was running for congress. Had Pougnet won that seat, he would have been the first married, gay father in Congress.

“That had a huge impact on me,” says Ramos. “Even though I came out when I was 13 years old, I had never seen a gay family before. So to see two men raising children was significant on me. Once I got back from that incredible experience, I knew I wanted to continue working on a cause that my heart was in 100 percent.”

Ramos knows how hard the community has worked together to advance equality in our state, and knows our work is not yet finished. From making sure every queer young person feels safe, welcome, and empowered to make change in their school, to creating a state that affirms the lives and experiences of transgender people, defeating religious exemption proposals that would turn back our victories, and addressing issues of immigration reform, homelessness, a living wage, paid family leave, reproductive health, and voter disenfranchisement.

He has the experience and determination to take on One Colorado’s hefty to-do list and hit the ground running as Colorado continues the march toward full equality, but stresses that everyone is needed to make change.

“Advocacy work is exciting,” says Ramos. “LGBTQ people know that there are protections and opportunities that our community still needs. We need people pulled from every corner of our state to pitch in. This could mean coming to LGBT Lobby Day, calling their state representative and telling their story, or just telling their stories in the community. We are an active community, and we are really excited to build on what we have already accomplished here in Colorado.”