Equality NC Gala Keynote

Julián Castro | Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

GALA HOME | KEYNOTE

Julián Castro was sworn in as the 16th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on July 28, 2014. Under Secretary Castro's leadership, HUD has been a leader in ensuring LGBT rights. Most recently, he finalized HUD’s Gender Identity Rule to affirm that all individuals have equal access to many of the Department’s core programs in accordance with their gender identity. Before leading HUD, Secretary Castro served as Mayor of the City of San Antonio, where he became known as a national leader in urban development and a staunch advocate for the LGBT community. Secretary Castro earned a B.A. from Stanford University in 1996, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2000. He and his wife, Erica, have a daughter, Carina, and a son, Cristian.