Balba Flores

Background

About Balba Flores

Growing up in Hermosillo, Mexico and being part of the LGBTQ+ community, I witnessed the harassment and injustice that my community lived every day in Mexico. For this reason, I made it one of my goals in life to narrow the gap of disadvantages that multiple communities such as the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, older adults, and indigenous communities encounter in their everyday life. For my BSc. in Kinesiology at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, I chose courses that would allow me to build my knowledge about health promotion, LGBTQ+ studies and program management to guarantee that I would be able to create programs that will improve the wellbeing of vulnerable populations. As well, I took multiple certifications for personal training and social programs to help me with the creation of inclusive spaces and training for people who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or people with disabilities. I was able to use my knowledge in multiple volunteering opportunities during my undergraduate studies and created various temporary programs that successfully led to the improvement of the wellbeing in children/teens and older adults. After my undergraduate degree, I decided to move back to Mexico and started work at a political party as a program manager. Currently, I am working at SEC Sonora's Gender Equality Unit as the Deputy Director of Human Rights, Diversity and Inclusion where I seek to create a more inclusive learning environment for LGBTQ+ students.