By the time my 4th birthday came, June of 1994, I was already sure of who I was. Now not consciously, but naively. I was a tiny little being with a big imagination and little to worry about. My mom let me be exactly who I was.

Straight out of 94, Power Rangers was my jam! That was my show. My favorite characters were the Pink and Yellow rangers. I probably kicked and screamed for the cake I wanted, and my mom let me. Maybe the pink ranger was probably a little much for her, but at least I got the yellow one.

It would be in the following years to come that I would have the same love and obsessions for characters like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the the witches of Charmed.

I was diagnosed with HIV at age 19. I fuckin’ hated taking my meds. They made me feel absolutely terrible, but I knew I had to. The only thing that made the experience bearable was knowing that my HIV meds were in my body, decolonizing, slaying, and vanquishing the virus flowing freely in my blood.

I guess Iʼve always have an infinity for strong bad ass, ass kicking women. Just like the woman lighting the candles, my mother.

carlos, he/they

gran varones positive digital arts fellow

los angeles, ca