ABOVE: Photo via the LGBTQ Victory Institute.
The LGBTQ Victory Institute will honor Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau and Guatemalan Congressman Aldo Dávila at a conference that will take place in D.C. next month.
Fecteau, who is the first out speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, will receive the Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award. Dávila, the first openly gay man and the first person with HIV elected to the Guatemalan Congress, will receive the 2021 Global Trailblazer Award.
The Victory Institute will honor Dávila and Fecteau at it’s International LGBTQ Leaders Conference that will take place in-person in D.C. and remotely from Dec. 1-4.
“It’s been an honor of a lifetime to serve as speaker of the Maine House,” tweeted Fecteau on Monday after the Victory Institute announced it will honor him and Dávila.
1/2 Thanks to your support & votes I'm @VictoryInst's 2021 @TammyBaldwin Breakthrough Award recipient!
It's been an honor of a lifetime to serve as Speaker of the Maine House. Also huge congrats to @aldodavila_gt, 2021 Global Trailblazer recipient. pic.twitter.com/eTJiVcFvMJ
— Ryan Fecteau 🇺🇸🌲 (@SpeakerFecteau) November 8, 2021
Three men earlier this year tried to rob Dávila when they approached his car near Guatemala’s National Library. One of his bodyguards shot one of the would-be assailants.
Dávila in September told the Washington Blade during an interview in Guatemala City that he has received death threats because he continues to speak out against corruption in the country. Supporters of Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei have also filed nearly a dozen formal complaints against him.
“I am scared of what may happen with so much persecution against me,” Dávila told the Blade. “I am scared for my life, for my partner, for my family and for my team.”
Victory Institute Executive Director Ruben Gonzales in a statement described Dávila as “a proud out leader who continues to advocate for LGBTQ people despite death threats and intimidation from his own government.” Gonzales said Fecteau is “a role model who shows (LGBTQ youth) their future is bright.”
