Michael S.C. Soto (he/him)

Michael S.C. Soto serves as the President of Equality Arizona, the state's oldest and leading statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Michael has decades of history with Equality Arizona in many roles, from intern and volunteer to the chief executive officer. Michael, once again, leads Equality Arizona so that this 30-year-old organization can provide a sustainable and inclusive political home for LGBTQ+ Arizonans and our allies.

Michael is a long-time leader in the LGBTQ+ movement in Arizona and the nation. He has focused his work in red and purple states where he has seen pluralism and liberty for all exist in real life – where neighbors don’t have to live like one another to value one another’s contributions to the community and treat one another with respect and dignity. Michael truly believes the old adage - all politics are local – and what adrienne maree brown teaches - that patterns arise in systems. With this in mind Michael believes to his core that the best solutions for our biggest challenges and problems facing humanity today are found first in local communities and can be scaled with the wisdom of people from every walk of life to meet any challenge.

He is a graduate of ASU with a Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies and a Master of Science in Justice Studies. Michael is currently a PhD student in Justice Studies at ASU, where his studies focus on pluralism as the antidote to political polarization and extremism. He believes to his core that justice is a lifelong process and hopes to make some meaningful contribution to creating a more just society during his lifetime.