From the Closet to Capitol Hill: Dr. Roy Rivera on Pride, Advocacy, and Finding His Voice in Business
From the Closet to Capitol Hill: Dr. Roy Rivera on Pride, Advocacy, and Finding His Voice in Business
Dr. Roy Rivera, Jr. built a successful business—but for years, he kept part of himself in the shadows.
As a proud gay man, he lived openly in his personal life. But inside his Houston rehab practice, being LGBTQ+ was something unspoken—acknowledged only in hushed referrals: “Go see the gay doctor.”
It wasn’t until 2018 that Roy made a bold decision—not just to live out loud, but to do business out loud, too. And that changed everything.
A Patient, a Question, and a Turning Point
One pivotal conversation pushed Roy out of his professional closet. A trans male patient preparing for bottom surgery asked him, “Dr. Rivera, what can I do after surgery? Can I lift my kids? Do yard work? Go to the gym?”
Roy was stunned—and humbled.
“I said, ‘I don’t know.’ And that answer didn’t sit right with me,” he recalls. “So I turned to the literature, searched medical databases, and found…nothing. There was no research on rehabilitative care for trans patients. That’s when I knew something had to change.”
That moment sparked a personal and professional awakening. Dr. Rivera began speaking up, advocating, and reshaping his practice to serve the LGBTQ+ community intentionally and openly. Today, his clinic stands as one of only two LGBTBE®-certified private physical therapy practices in the nation, and the only one dually certified as both an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®) and a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), delivering truly inclusive, specialized care.
"Coming Out" Again—This Time as a Business
Taking his business out of the closet wasn’t easy.
“I was terrified,” Dr. Rivera admits. “I thought I’d lose patients. I thought people would say, ‘I’m not going to that gay place.’ But my business coach told me, ‘Be true to yourself and your people will find you.’ And they did.”
In fact, that leap of faith catapulted Dr. Rivera to new heights. Last year, he was named the SBA 2024 Small Business Person of the Year for the Houston district and honored by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s MBDA as Healthcare Firm of the Year—a milestone moment of government recognition for LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare.
“To be celebrated by the government for serving our community—it meant everything,” he says. “But now, under a different administration, some of those programs are being dismantled. It’s scary. And it reminds me that we have to be louder, prouder, and more visible than ever.”
Advocacy in Action: From Local Impact to National Influence
Dr. Rivera’s work doesn’t stop at the clinic. As a board member of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, he’s found another platform to champion small business owners like himself.
“I speak the language of small business,” Dr. Rivera says. “My role on the board gives me a chance to advocate for inclusive policies and connect with entrepreneurs who often feel alone.”
That advocacy has taken him to Washington, D.C., where he’s met with legislators to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ business owners. But he’s quick to emphasize the power of local networks too.
“Being part of the Chamber is about community,” he says. “It’s where we link arms. It’s how we stay strong when the world tells us to sit down.”
Advice for the Next Generation
Dr. Rivera’s journey offers a roadmap—and a reality check—for other LGBTQ+ professionals.
“Entrepreneurship looks glamorous, but it’s lonely,” he says. “You feel like you’re holding the world on your shoulders. My advice? Seek mentorship. Find your community. You don’t have to do this alone—and you shouldn’t.”
And that, perhaps, is the heart of Pride for Dr. Rivera: community, courage, and showing up with authenticity, no matter the risks.
“Pride is being resilient in the face of challenge,” he says. “And if we don’t get loud, if we don’t stay visible—we risk losing everything we’ve fought for.”
Read. Share. Rise Together.
Dr. Rivera’s story is one of bold transformation—and it’s a story that deserves to be seen. Share it, talk about it, and let it inspire your own voice in the movement toward equity, visibility, and liberation.
Because as Dr. Rivera reminds us: “When we get quiet, we get run over. And I’m not going to shut up.”