THE GRAN VARONES — My name is German but you can call me “King.” I am...

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My name is German but you can call me “King.” I am new to Philly, I love it and I love the scene. As a child I grew up unable to be myself due to the things I was forced listen to about being gay. I was bullied by my uncles because they always called...

My name is German but you can call me “King.” I am new to Philly, I love it and I love the scene. As a child I grew up unable to be myself due to the things I was forced listen to about being gay. I was bullied by my uncles because they always called me gay. I lost so many chances at life. I held myself back from so many opportunities because I was scared to come out. I loved to sing, dance and act but I was told that that was for “gays.” Everyone made really negative comments about gay men. For example, using HIV and AIDS as a way to scare me and that had a huge impact in my life growing up. I had a best friend as a child he was openly gay and I was very scared to even bring the subject up due to the things that I heard.

I met the love of my life back home in upstate New York during the summer of 2014. He was attending University of the Arts in Philly and I was moving New York City to continue my studies as a photography and film major. After moving to New York City, I ended up working so much and missing out a chance to start school. So I looked into schools in Philadelphia and I was lucky to be able to have scholarships rolled over. So now I am continuing my studies in Philadelphia.

Now a year and half later, we are living together living in our apartment in center city Philadelphia. Loving him is what has made me feel free and strong. I am happy at last.

 
German Ayala Vazquez aka King, Philadelphia

Interviewed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca

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Do you think there is a Latino Gay/Queer Community?
“I think there is. I think that people have created community within community. Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. I think there is sorta these enclaves or pockets of queer Latino people who have become close friends. I think that if they venture out into the night life, there may be some cross pollination and mixing. I believe that there is, that there are queer Latino communities in Philadelphia.” Felix Perez
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on friday, april 17, 2015, gran varones creator louie a. ortiz was invited to speak at a press conference at city hall about the exclusion of latino lgbtq immigrants in the presidential immigration relief action. here is his speech: My name is Louie A. Ortiz, creator of the Gran Varones, a multi-media project that shines light on Latino queer communities. Like many other Latino LGBTQ people in our communities, I am a parent. I am the sole provider for my son. I do not have complete legal custody of my child and someone in my shoes could be separated from their family if we are not included in the protection DACA and DAPA provides. While this presidential action will provide relief for members in our community, many will be excluded. This Presidential action is only a first step. Any immigration benefit derived from the “traditional” idea of family, leaves out many LGBTQ people in our community whose families are frequently not recognized under the law. Policies are needed to recognize families similar to mine. These kinds of exclusions continue to leave LGBTQ people at risk of being detained in jails that are incredibly unsafe and inhumane, particularly for transgender women who continue to be detained with men. LGBTQ Latinos are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and leaders in our communities. It is our commitment to advocate for wide-ranging policies that ensure that everyone is included in this protection so that families similar to mine are not torn apart. #Not1Mo

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Louie: So what is it like being a queer Latino transplant in Philly?

Luis: Identity is something that I’m always struggling with. My Latino heritage has always been very important to me, while my gay identity was something that I had to come to terms with.

As a teenager I fully immersed myself in Latino culture and sought out other Latino friends and media. It’s funny that I used to think rainbow and gay pride paraphernalia were tacky, but thought the Colombian and Honduran bracelets, necklaces and oversized jerseys I would buy at festivals were that much cuter.

Going to Temple and moving out finally gave me the chance to explore my gay identity without worrying about my parents finding out. My very first night living in Philly I went to my first gay club, Woody’s college night – stone cold sober. It was tragic but I broke the seal and it basically a wrap after that.

The past five years in Philly I’ve gotten to know the gay community, but when it comes to the Latino community I couldn’t tell you anything besides the general areas where you can probably hear Spanish on the street and a couple restaurants.

It’s tough to find myself losing touch with my Latino identity, something that’s always been special to me, but I’m trying to find ways to remedy that.

- Luis Fernando Rodriguez, Philadelphia

Interviewed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca

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metro.us

north philly varon continues fight for justice

losing a sibling to violence is an experience of many varones in north philly. ralphiie, who’s ‪#‎GranVarones‬ story is scheduled to debut next Monday, is nothing short of inspiring. his commitment to social justice and his sister’s memory provides light to all of us have similar experiences.

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GV: so what brought you to philly and how has it been living in philly?

FELIPE: “i was raised in boston, mass. i lived in puerto rico for a few years with my family and then we moved back to the states. after that, around age 10, i was placed in foster care and then when i graduated undergrad, i moved to philly. i had just family and i wasn’t familiar with the philadelphia scene in general, never mind gay latinos. it took me a while to get established into the community. i’ve only just recently, in the last year, met people that are more pro-active in queer identity.” ‪

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louie: tell us something or anything you want us to know.
angel: “i am a nerd. i love video games so i guess you can call me a gaymer. i am in a long distance relationship. we met on plenty of fish. i wish a bit weary because i was always told to stay way from the internet to meet anybody you want to date. he messaged me and i just tried to play him but i guess that didn’t work and eventually i gave him my number and now we’re together. we are promised.” - angel carrasquillo

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Louie: Describe the first time you fell in love with a man.

Juan: I was living in Connecticut. It was with someone who was visiting Connecticut for a few weeks, We met and hung out everyday until he had to leave.  It was scary but in the initial stages of it, I didn’t realize that I was scared. I just felt excited. I’d finally made a connection with someone, that connection that I had always heard about, that I had talked about. I always forced [that connection] with a lot of girls I dated because I was in the “closet” and terrified to come out.

So after dating so many girls, I was tired of looking for something I was trying to force and being young when it started happening, it happened fast. It was a feeling that I have never experienced. It felt great. Whenever I was with him, it felt great. When he left, I felt scared and unprepared for that feeling. I didn’t know how to handle it. It was also my first heartbreak.

Juan David Franco, Philadelphia
Interviewed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca

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GV: Tell us about you Roger: My name is Roger and I grew up in Pasadena, California. I am Mexicano and I have lived in Philadelphia for 7 years. The experience here is very different from LA in terms of integration. I feel like there were a lot more...

GV: Tell us about you

Roger: My name is Roger and I grew up in Pasadena, California. I am Mexicano and I have lived in Philadelphia for 7 years. The experience here is very different from LA in terms of integration. I feel like there were a lot more out and open Latino gay men in LA than they are in Philadelphia.  But I found it’s been a good experience being able to integrate into different cultures and atmospheres.

GV: Do you think there is a Gay Latino Community in Philly?

Roger: I think it’s integrated into other cultures but I don’t think there is a solid Gay Latino community the way it is in other parts of the country.

GV: Are you drunk?

Roger: A little bit. :)

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Affirming a transgender student’s gender by using pronouns that align with their gender identity has been shown to improve mental health outcomes. We’re dedicating today to uplifting the need for normalizing the usage of pronouns and a report on transgender students’ intersectional health disparities. Hit the link below for more information.

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/on-all-sides

#PronounsDay

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