Latino community builder Erick Arguello has been picked by the general membership of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee Inc. to be an individual grand marshal for the 38th annual LGBT Pride celebration.

Arguello, 48, moved to San Francisco from Nicaragua in 1963. Now, he's the volunteer coordinator for AGUILAS, a San Francisco agency that helps gay and bisexual Latinos on issues ranging from HIV to political asylum. Arguello, who's HIV-positive, became a client of the group 12 years ago.

He said he thinks his being an individual grand marshal will help bring attention to gay Latinos.

"I think that's important, especially around funding and a lot of the stigma involved regarding cultural differences, language barriers, and things of that nature," Arguello said. "I think as a gay Latino man that's important for the larger LGBT community to be aware of and understand ... that we're here and we're part of the community."

According to a Pride news release, member Alfredo Pedroza, who nominated Arguello, said, "Erick has been working steadily over the past 10 years to make safe spaces for the LGBT population in the Latino community, notably creating 'safe' areas in the Mission neighborhood through community building."

The selection was announced Tuesday, April 8.

Arguello is the second individual grand marshal for 2008 to be named. The first, Evan Low, the openly gay Campbell City Councilmember, was named as the community's pick for individual grand marshal last week. Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, a nonprofit organization that strives to educate queer Asians and Pacific Islanders about AIDS and also works toward other social, political, and cultural aims, was named as the organization grand marshal.

Several more individual grand marshals are to be announced by May 6. One is expected to be selected by the "Electoral College" – a group of past grand marshals. The board of directors also selects up to three additional grand marshals to ensure there is diversity. The Pride board may pick nominees who scored high in the community voting or other people.

Arguello won over four other nominees: Angela Davis, Becky Benton, Joyce Pierson, and Tony Lopez.

This year's San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration will be held June 28 and 29. For more information, visit www.sfpride.org.