J.C. Romero
LGBT leaders were ecstatic when Dr. J.C. Romero, an openly gay educator, won a seat on the Orleans Parish School Board last Saturday. Romero defeated two-term board member Leslie Ellison, who frequently spoke out against gay rights. LGBT community members believe they will not achieve “full citizenship” until gay candidates are elected to the Louisiana Legislature and the New Orleans City Council.
Chief of staff at Einstein Charter Schools and adjunct professor at Delgado Community College, Romero is the city’s third gay-identified elected school official, following in the footsteps of two former Orleans Parish School Board presidents Thomas Robichaux and Seth Bloom. Robichaux and other LGBT attorneys provided free services on Romero’s behalf.