Activist Starr De Los Santos is celebrating a milestone that she hopes will not only shape her future in public service, but expand who gets seen as a leader in politics.
Santos recently graduated from the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute training, a top national program preparing LGBTQ+ people to run for office and serve in public leadership positions.
Starr De Los Santos recently completed the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute training. Photo courtesy of Starr De Los Santos
She said she applied because she was tired of watching decisions that affected her communities be made by people who did not reflect them.
“Honestly, I’m just tired of not being represented,” Santos said. “I’m a little tired of not being heard.”
Santos is the associate director of coalitions at Women Employed, where she leads campaigns for paid family and medical leave, pay equity and economic justice.
She said her work as a coalition strategist—and her lived experiences as a queer, masc-presenting Latina woman—motivated her to step into political leadership.
“I’ve learned to use my voice unapologetically—and not just for myself, but for the communities I love and represent,” Santos said. “I really want to be part of the changing face of leadership.”
Santos said she never saw anyone like her in public roles when she was young, and that lack of representation shaped her decision to train for office now.
“I never really saw someone like me that I could look up to, someone who was authentically themselves and outspoken and community-driven,” she said. “So that way the next generation, my little sister, her kids, kind of see themselves in the people that are making the decisions about their lives.”
She said fundraising and financial barriers kept her from considering a political run until recently, when she decided fear was no longer going to stop her.
“I just kind of got like, I just was just motivated because I felt like I could, and I wasn’t scared to anymore,” she said.
At the Victory Institute training, Santos said she found the courage and practical knowledge needed to pursue elected office.
“It really just gave me the motivation that I could,” Santos said. “One thing, it just gave me the courage that I could do it, and I shouldn’t think so small, that I can think big.”
Santos named Danica Roem, the first transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature, as the program’s most influential instructor.
Martín Diego Garcia of the Campaign Workshop, Starr De Los Santos and Virginia State Sen. Danica Roem. Photo courtesy of Starr De Los Santos
“She was just so authentic and she really just told her story with no filter,” Santos said. “It was amazing to hear her story and the way she goes about protecting her family. And her energy was amazing.”
Santos also cited influences like State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, praising her for modeling relatable and community-rooted public service.
Santos said she is now attending campaign events and shadowing candidates to understand the realities of running.
“I’m really just kind of taken it all in and kind of just seeing, okay, well, this is what I would do differently,” she said.
Santos has not yet announced a run, but is weighing both local and larger offices, she said.
“I don’t know what my future really holds, but I”m leaning into the idea of ‘go big or go home,’” Santos said.
Santos said recent election victories for progressive candidates—including in New York, where she helped with door-knocking—gave her energy and hope.
“We’re giving power back to the people and the motivation to keep going,” Santos said.
To others considering leadership, Santos encouraged people to look into the Victory Institute and get involved in public policy through nonprofits and advisory boards, including Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council, where she serves.
“I think that’s a really good way, like, if you’ve never been in public policy, to kind of get your foot in,” she said.
Santos emphasized that leadership is not about perfection—but authenticity.
“People will see that and want to help you just for our authenticity,” Santos said.
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