Valerie Villalta, “To live exactly who you want to be.”

As part of Whitman-Walker’s 40th anniversary, officially January 13, 2018, we’re sharing 40 stories to help tell the narrative of the Whitman-Walker community. This week we hear from Valerie Villalta! Valerie left Central America to come to the United States in search of safety and acceptance. She found a home in Washington, DC. With the help of Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership and services, she gained asylum and healthcare, and the chance to live authentically and love openly.

Watch Valerie share her story below! For more on Valerie’s story, read her December 16, 2011 profile in the Washington Post here.

Please note this story was recorded in 2016.