DeOnyae-Dior Valentina is an activist in Indianapolis and the subject of our June advocate profile. Valentina serves as an Urban Leaders Fellow with the City of Indianapolis’ Office of Equity, Belonging & Inclusion, where she leads a project identifying service gaps for immigrant and refugee communities. She is also a Policy Fellow with the Positive Women’s Network, where she works to advance national campaigns for HIV decriminalization, healthcare justice, and the leadership of woman of color and nonbinary people living with HIV.
Tell us about you (i.e., your hometown, your hobbies, family, interests).
I’m a Black and brown trans woman and community advocate from Indianapolis. My lived experience navigating child welfare, housing instability, and the justice system fuels my commitment to building a more just and equitable world, especially for youth who live at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities.
When you’re not working in these roles, how do you spend your time?
Outside of these roles, I’m a poet, organizer, and podcast host. I created Strength Over Struggle: The Up & Coming Podcast to spotlight mental health, survival, and joy within QTBIPOC communities. I believe in storytelling as a sacred act of resistance—and in building a community rooted in care, accountability, and faith.
How did you start advocating for LGBTQ+ social justice causes?
My advocacy started from survival. As a Black and brown trans girl in Indiana, I grew up facing rejection, instability, and systems that tried to erase me. I didn’t see people like me represented in leadership, let alone protected by the policies shaping our lives. That absence lit a fire in me.
I began organizing in high school—first around LGBTQ+ visibility in child welfare systems, then around youth homelessness, sexual health justice, and trans healthcare access. Over time, my lived experience became my expertise, and I committed to making sure that other queer and trans youth, especially those of color, wouldn’t have to fight to be seen, heard, or valued the way I did. Advocacy became my way of surviving—and now, it’s how I help others thrive.
In your time advocating, what has been your proudest moment?
One of my proudest moments was co-facilitating a legislative teach-in at the Statehouse, where I guided a group of young LGBTQ+ Hoosiers, many of whom were new to advocacy, through meetings with legislators. Watching them speak their truth with power, despite fear and stigma, brought tears to my eyes. That day, they didn’t just feel seen; they knew they belonged in those halls.
This year, what were you fighting for? Did you have any successes?
This year, I fought to protect Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and the rights of LGBTQ+ people, especially trans youth, in Indiana. While many of the bills I opposed ultimately passed, I had the opportunity to testify against harmful legislation—including HB 1041, SB 289, and SB 442—to make sure our voices were heard. Even without legislative victories, showing up, speaking out, and building community resistance was a powerful act of defiance and care in a hostile climate.
What piece of advice would you share with other advocates?
Start from your story. There’s power in our lived experiences, especially when systems try to silence us. And don’t forget: you’re not alone. Build community, rest when needed, and know that faith-rooted justice isn’t just about resistance—it’s also about joy, healing, and collective care.
Design the Democracy You Want to Live In: Democracy Designers is a year-long volunteer cohort program from the ACLU of Indiana that prepares you to lead, engage, and inspire in the lead-up to the 2026 election.
