Dante Matero

Dante Matero began working with RUSA LGBTQ in 2018 as an intern and volunteer, assisting with translation and interpretation services to Russian-speaking asylum seekers working on their affidavits and preparing for asylum interviews. Expanding his role since then, he has helped with the intake and support of new community members, organized a round table on queer activism in Central Asia, planned a fundraiser for queer Ukrainian asylum seekers fleeing the war, and now serves as the secretary of the RUSA’s board.

He earned a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from UCLA in 2016 and then taught English in Kaliningrad, Russia, as a Fulbright fellow. Afterward, he moved to New York City to pursue an M.A. in Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies at Columbia University's Harriman Institute.

Dante identifies as a U.S.-born gay man, and is passionate about LGBTQ human rights.