Juan Barajas is an accomplished LGBT community leader and nonprofit executive. Most recently, Mr. Barajas served as the Executive Director of the Pacific Center for Human Growth, an award winning LGBT community center in Berkeley, CA. During his tenure with Pacific Center, he led the organization towards sustainable growth by more than doubling the individual fundraising program, overseeing a major facility renovation, strengthening existing programs, implementing new communications and branding strategies, and developing an expert team of staff and volunteers to deliver high quality services for the local LGBT community.

Prior to working with Pacific Center, he led the successful development of the Outlet Program, a LGBT youth organization in Mountain View, CA. Under his leadership, the Outlet Program grew from a weekly youth group into a multi-service youth organization reaching thousands of people each year through direct service and advocacy. The Outlet Program continues to serve as a powerful support, training, and leadership resource for LGBT youth and their allies in achieving LGBT youth inclusion and visibility in the local community.

Mr. Barajas earned his degree in psychology from Stanford University, and currently serves on the Board of the National Association of LGBT Community Centers. In 2007, he was recognized by Out Now magazine as one of the 20 most influential LGBT people in the Bay Area and by ABC7 News Hispanic Heritage Salutes as a successful Bay Area Hispanic leader.

About GLAAD

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) www.glaad.org, with offices in New York City and Los Angeles, is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

GLAAD’s work and influence within the entertainment industry, national and regional news organizations and with journalists at all levels has led to sweeping change in the ways that LGBT people are portrayed in the media. The widely known and popular GLAAD Media Awards has recognized the best of such images for 19 years.