Assistant AG Carlos Uriarte is the gay Latine powerhouse shaping the DOJ’s relationship with Congress

Uriarte’s role isn’t limited to just pushing back on harmful laws in his communications with Congress. He also helps lead efforts to combat hate crimes and strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a delicate balance, he says — one that requires both policy know-how and a deep understanding of the cultural chasm that has long existed between the police and queer Americans.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have surged, even as overall crime has declined. In its 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics report, the FBI documented a 23 percent increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation and a 16 percent rise in those targeting gender identity. With more than one in five hate crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias, these numbers paint a grim picture of rising intolerance in the U.S.

In a political landscape where misinformation and disinformation are rampant, particularly around transgender rights, Uriarte says that he is part of the DOJ’s fight to set the record straight. In cases where state laws restricting gender-affirming care have been challenged, the DOJ’s filings have made clear the real harm these laws inflict on gender-nonconforming individuals, he says. And Uriarte ensures that senior officials, from the Bureau of Prisons director to other DOJ leaders, are equipped to tackle these thorny issues when they face Congress.

“Whenever [Bureau of Prisons director Colette S. Peters] is on the Hill, [she] will get questions about the treatment of transgender inmates, and the thing that she has prioritized there is that she has policies that ensure that she and her team can make determinations that are in the best interest of the safety of all adults in custody,” Uriarte says. “So making sure that our leaders who are talking to Congress and the public about these issues are well-equipped to accurately reflect the issues [is] a really important part of hopefully improving the dialogue.”

Uriarte says he can thrive in an administration that champions diversity while never losing sight of his roots. Though he’s acutely aware that there are still relatively few Latine or LGBTQ+ people in senior government positions, Uriarte is using his influence to inspire others. “I hope my story can help people feel more comfortable regardless of where they come from or their background of pursuing public service and these types of leadership roles in public service,” he says.

But Uriarte isn’t just about symbolism. Uriarte’s authenticity might be his most potent tool in a city that often values conformity over character. He’s hands-on in mentoring the next generation of public servants. Uriarte frequently tells law students to “find strength in the things that make you different.” It’s the advice he says he received from the late Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, a Democrat who once told him to “find what feeds your soul” — words that still resonate with him today.

Those are opportunities “for me to talk a little bit about my personal story and how I got here and to make sure that they can hear about some of the challenges and maybe trepidations I had about this career path earlier my life,” he says. “And hopefully, that can also give them confidence to pursue these types of roles.”

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Christopher Wiggins