Krystal Portalatin
Krystal is a Queer Femme Nuyorican. As a youth she co-founded FIERCE, an LGBTQ youth of color community based organization, to fight against the impacts of gentrification and policing in the West Village. At 19 she left New York and lived for several years in Oahu, Hawaii and San Diego, California where she worked in the areas of domestic violence, HIV/AIDS prevention and youth development. Longing for her political home, she returned to NYC in 2008 to work at FIERCE. While there she held various staff roles and achieved the following: systematized and streamlined the operations and administrative systems, developed and implemented a wellness and sustainability program to complement existing leadership development programming, and expanded the national program which sought to strengthen Queer and Trans youth organizers across the country. After transitioning out of her role as Co-Director in 2015 she continued to support the movement as a consultant. Outside of her commitment to social justice and work life, Krystal enjoys reading, cooking, running and perfecting her winged eyeliner!