ENTRIVISTAS / INTERVIEWS

2LABRYS **************** ENTREVISTAS / INTERVIEWS

**************** Esta colección de entrevistas es uno de los primeros proyectos realizados por el colectivo 2LABRYS. EL grupo contactó a varias personas que pertenecen a las comunidades latinx y LGBT+ de los Estados Unidos, México, y Venezuela para obtener información sobre cómo cada una de nuestras experiencias está matizada.

A través de estas entrevistas, 2LABRYS tenía la oportunidad de aprender más sobre los demás y compartir sus experiencias con los demás.

**************** This collection of interviews is one of the first projects made by the collective 2LABRYS. The group contacted several people who belong to both the latinx and LGBT+ communities from the United States, México, Cuba, and Venezuela to gain insight into how each of our experiences is nuanced. Through these interviews 2LABRYS had the opportunity to learn more about each other and share their experiences with others.

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Anónima, ​20 años San Miguel de Allende.

¿Cómo te identificas?

Me identifico como mujer lesbiana, aunque prefiero algo más andrógino. ¿Sientes que tu sexualidad y/o género son importantes para ti en tu vida cotidiana?

Es muy importante para mi porque es la razón de mi manera de actuar- de pensar y de ser. ¿Te sientes aceptado por tu familia? ¿Y tus amigos?

Todavía estoy, de cierta forma, en el closet, pero algunos amigos lo saben y me aceptan. Mi familia aún no lo sabe pero estoy segura que lo desaprobarían. ¿Cómo crees que se puede lograr un cambio positivo en nuestra comunidad?

Generando consciencia no solo de tolerancia, sino de aceptación, respeto y apoyo. ¿Cuáles son tus cosas favoritas para divertirte?

Me encanta escuchar música, ver películas, tomar fotos, escribir y salir con mis amigos. ¿Quién es tu celebridad gay favorita?​​ ​¿O tu ícono gay favorito?

Stephanie Beatriz de ​Brooklyn 99​ y Samira Wiley. ¿Cuál es tu símbolo gay favorito?

No conozco el significado de la mayoría de los símbolos que hay. Quiero conocer y saber más sobre la comunidad LGBT. ¿Cuál es la mejor parte de estar en la comunidad LGBT para ti?

Supongo que el apoyo mutuo​.

Ellis Perez, ​22

is a queer Latinx poet and performer based in ​Minneapolis, MN​​.

They make art about the ache of a fresh wound and the rawness of being human.

How do you identify? With what gender? What sexuality?

My actual identity is a demiromantic queer soft masc agender boy with a strong connection to womanhood who rarely experiences platonic, romantic, and sexual attraction to the same person at the same time.

But you can see how that's a mouthful, so I just say "I'M GAY!”.

How does your identity impact your life?

I love being queer. I love being trans. I think it forces you to be honest with yourself and I think it forces you to challenge your own internalized misogyny and transphobia. Because of this, I am always noticing and being impacted by microaggressions, and that can be hard when your identity is so intersected. It also has made me understand that there can be no talk of liberation or revolution without intersection.

What is the best part of being in the LGBT community for you?

Hands down the opportunity to make collaborative art, all the art I make is a love letter to my community and to my people.

How would you describe the LGBT community in your state or city?

I’m lucky to live in a city that is very liberal but I also live in a state that is very white. White queer folks have a lot of work to do in terms of how queer people of color and trans people of color are integrated into the community, where our voices can exist, and how we’re represented and spoken for.

Where is your favorite place to be, where you know you are an accepted as a member of the LGBT community?

The homes of my chosen family, and performances by artists who represent me and my voice.

Do you feel accepted by your family and friends?

My mother is Cuban and has always been loving and welcoming to anyone I’ve brought around. Her understanding of gender has evolved but her language and her customs are so heavily built in binary that acceptance of my name and pronouns have been difficult. I think what English-speaking queer people need to understand is that just having the words in your own language to name your identity as a queer and/or trans person is a form of privilege.

Do you consider yourself an activist? An artist?

I had not since recently. I think the work I’m doing now as an artist, which is about collaboration and creating/holding space for the marginalized people in the queer community, is very much a radical act, and is very much an act of revolution. Creating a space where you can allow trans people of color to exist together authentically and joyously is activism.

How can a positive change in our community be achieved?

With reparations, with joy, with acts of kindness, with infiltrating, with self care, with resistance, with holding space for each other.

What is your favorite gay symbol?

I’m just gonna go ahead and call it- the alien emoji is a gay symbol. đ&#x;‘˝

Anónima, ​25 años San Miguel de Allende.

Contestado por un ser humano.

¿Cómo te identificas? ¿Con qué género? ¿Qué sexualidad?

Me identifico como mujer, no soy la más femenina y tampoco masculina.

Simplemente uso y soy cómo quiero dependiendo del día y humor. No clasifico mi sexualidad, me gusta ser un humano sin etiqueta. ¿Cómo impacta tu identidad en tu vida?

Para mi es importante poder ser yo sin que me afecte lo que los demás piensen. Siento que la sociedad aún no sabe respetar o simplemente no entienden el tema gracias a su pasado, educación o familia, sin embargo trato de ser lo más natural que pueda. Sin miedos, sin prejuicios y al mismo tiempo respeto las ideologías de los demás. Sí yo los respeto, espero el mismo respeto de vuelta. ¿Cuáles son algunos problemas específicos de LGBT aquí en SMA? El prejuicio, no es una ciudad en la que puedas ser LGBT abiertamente sin tener miedo que alguien te pueda hacer algo o se pase de comentarios, sin embargo también el ser discreto y respetuoso a la gente con otras ideologías ha ayudado a que en lo personal no pase. ¿Te sientes seguro en San Miguel? ¿Te sientes bienvenido y aceptado?

Sí, he conocido gente increíble que me ha aceptado y tengo una familia de amigos muy sana. Es todo lo que necesito.

Lo de la seguridad entorno a mi preferencia no molesta, lo que me llega a molestar son comentarios y acciones que aún tienen los hombre hacia la mujer. ¿Cómo crees que se puede lograr un cambio positivo en nuestra comunidad?

Seguir haciendo actividades que acepten a cualquier persona, LGBT, cualquier edad, sin importar el estatus social, género, etc. Simplemente compartir conocimientos, experiencias y seguir aprendiendo a amar y a respetar a todos. El tema LGBT es uno pero aún falta como ser humano aprender a no discriminar la raza, los aspectos físicos, enfermedades. Hay que recordar que todos somos uno. El respeto, la tolerancia y el amor hacia TODOS es lo que va a mejorar y cambiar al mundo.

¿Quién es tu ícono gay favorito?

ELLEN DEGENERES! ¿Cuál es tu símbolo gay favorito?

Arcoíris! Siempre se me ha hecho lindo y creo que es la mezcla perfecta de la naturaleza que nos une. ¿Cuáles son tus cosas favoritas para divertirte?

Estar constantemente creando. Doy clases de arte y eso me hace muy feliz.

Pasar el tiempo con mis amigos. Disfrutar estar con mi pareja.

Isa Bela Escalona, ​23

is from Oak Park, IL and currently lives in ​Minneapolis, Minnesota​​.

She works at the Walker Art Center and at a hair salon in St. Paul. She is a filmmaker and photographer, especially interested in portraiture, conceptual and experimental video. She recently graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN where she majored in International Studies, and led a sexual education program. Isa is a gay Mexican American woman and explores her many identities in her art and studies.

How do you identify?

I identify as a gay woman. I don’t really find this to be a perfect identifier, but I prefer it over most labels. I am a cis woman.

Do you feel safe in your city? Do you feel welcome and accepted?

I feel safe probably 70% of the time. Especially since I’m not necessarily always read as “queer” by strangers, I think that rewards me a lot of privileges while navigating public spaces. However, in the times I’m not or it’s clear to someone that I’m gay, I definitely feel less safe. I get very aggressive questions from strangers, fetishized by drunk dudes at bars, and catcalled walking down the street regularly. I think Latinx women definitely face a lot of fetishazation and hyper-sexualization, which can lead anything from obnoxious comments to violence.

What is your favorite gay symbol?

I like the rainbow with the black and brown stripes!

How are your sexuality and/or gender important to you in your daily life?

It shapes how I interact with people. Before realizing I was gay, I think I lived my life genuinely believing (hoping) I was straight. I feel like compulsory heteronormativity was an enormous hurdle for me in accepting myself and took a very long time but I am thrilled to finally be in a place where I can openly and publicly accept who I am.

Who is your favorite gay and/or trans celebrity?

Janelle Monae, Lady Gaga, and Cheryl Dunye How does your identity impact your life? Negatively or positively?

Positively! It took me a long time to understand and embrace my sexuality for what it was. I really only felt comfortable in the label for about a year now. It feels like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders in some ways

but a burden in others. Mainly, accepting my identity as a gay woman has allowed me to meet and love people who I deeply cherish, including friendships and romantic relationships.

Do you feel like the state you live in is accepting and inclusive of LGBT people?

Generally, yes. It’s better than many. However there is so so so much more work to be done. Like we may have fun pride parades, but what does that mean if the bartenders at the local gay bars are racists? We may “vote blue” but what does that mean if I’m harassed when I’m out in public with a woman or when I’m with a girl and it’s immediately a fetishized spectacle for straight men? If trans women can’t get home safely at night? It’s all accepting on the surface-level, but it there’s many deeper problem that still need to be addressed.

How can a positive change in our community be achieved?

Local organizing, education, direct actions, honest art-making and storytelling.

Where is your favorite place to go, where you know you are accepted?

I rarely feel that accepted in gay spaces that are centered around men. I find that a space needs to be either gay women specific or latinx/queer in order for me to actually feel welcomed and accepted. I’ve found various arts events and social functions that cater to those specific intersections, but there needs to be more.

Fernando Mako, ​23 aùos San Miguel de Allende.

¿Cómo te identificas?

Gay. ¿Cómo impacta tu identidad en tu vida? ¿Negativamente o positivamente?

Positivamente. ¿Sientes que tu sexualidad y / o género son importantes para ti en tu vida cotidiana?

Claro, son la base de lo que soy y lo que hago. ¿La comunidad LGBT en SMA es importante para ti? Si es así, ¿por qué?

Es importante, aunque realmente no veo una comunidad unida. Jamás he sentido el apoyo de la comunidad local; es importante porque entre nosotros debemos apoyarnos. ¿Cómo describirías la comunidad LGBT en SMA? Desunida. ¿Sientes que el estado de Guanajuato respeta e incluye a la comunidad LGBT? No, no la respeta. ¿Cuáles son algunos problemas específicos de LGBT aquí en SMA? La discriminación de las autoridades y la ignorancia de la gente que vive en zonas rurales. ¿Te sientes seguro en San Miguel? ¿Te sientes bienvenido y aceptado?

Sí, sí me siento seguro, bienvenido y aceptado.

¿Te sientes aceptado por tu familia? ¿Y tus amigos?

Sí. ¿Cuál es la mejor parte de estar en la comunidad LGBT para ti?

Ser diferente y crear tu historia a mi manera. ¿Dónde está tu lugar favorito para ir en SMA, donde sabes que eres aceptado por pertenecer a la comunidad LGBT? La cucaracha ​:) ¿Cuáles son tus cosas favoritas para divertirte?

Ir al cine y salir con amigos. ¿Te consideras un activista?

No. ¿Te consideras un artista?

Sí. ¿Cómo crees que se puede lograr un cambio positivo en nuestra comunidad?

La comunidad necesita unirse. De ahí cualquier obstáculo será evadido. ¿Cuál es tu símbolo gay favorito?

¿Quién es tu celebridad gay favorita?

RuPaul. ¿Quién es tu ícono gay favorito?

Madonna.

Antoine, ​21

was born and raised in ​Maracaibo, Venezuela​​ and moved to​ Finland​​ as an asylum seeker in June of 2018. They work as a freelance illustrator.

How do you identify?

I am queer and trans/nonbinary and my pronouns are they/them.

In what ways does your identity impact your life?

The way I look (androgynous) and being in a public queer relationship definitely impacts my life, especially because the way people treat us will depend on how they perceive me and my partner. So of course sometimes that can cause anxiety if we are around someone who might be against the queer community. Dysphoria is also a huge thing when it comes to people seeing or talking to me because they could misgender me and make me feel more dysphoric.

How are your sexuality and/or gender important to you in your daily life?

My partner and I live in a small city in Finland so when we go outside I always think about other queer people seeing themselves in us and feeling empowered by us and in return it makes me feel good about being queer, proud, and loud no matter what.

Do you feel safe in your city? Do you feel welcome and accepted?

I feel safe overall, I know sometimes people look at my partner and I when we are outside holding hands because we are a mixed trans couple, but I would be surprised if someone tells something to us (Finnish people might look, but they would never say something).

What do you consider some specific problems for LGBT people in the latinx community? What about specifically in the country you live in?

I would say that using the main languages (Spanish and Portuguese) can be a struggle for some of us in the nonbinary community because both languages are very gendered. Also the stigma around trans people (specifically trans women) and how cis people think of us. Living in Venezuela was really hard for me because I knew that while I lived there I

could never come out as transgender because I knew the government wouldn't protect me if something happened to me.

Do you feel that your identity is accepted by your family and friends?

By my friends? 100%, I’ve found the most accepting people in my life thanks to social media, and I’m grateful for that.

By my family? Not really. I came out to my family as trans over a year ago and I tried to explain what is like to be trans and nonbinary, but coming from a country where the main language is very gendered it was hard for them to understand what is like to be outside the binary.

What is the best part of being in the LGBT community for you?

Being able to be my proudest self and not feel scared that someone will judge me. Also the huge support we give each other, especially in the trans community.

Where are your favorite places to go? What are places where you know you are accepted as a member of the LGBT community?

To be honest social media is where I feel the safest, I’m constantly surrounded by queer people and I love it. Pride is also the place where I’ve felt the most accepted in my life.

Do you consider yourself an activist?

I use my social media as platforms to bring awareness, speak up, and teach people about the injustices that my communities and other minority groups go through, but I’m not really sure if that classifies me as an activist.

What is your favorite gay/trans symbol?

Definitely đ&#x;Œˆ. I feel it represents me the best.

Who is your favorite gay/trans icon?

Chella Man (@chellaman on instagram) is someone that I look up to. I’ve learned so much about my own community thanks to him.

Disclaimer: In my answers I use ‘queer community’ as a synonym for LGBTQ+ community.

**************** 2LABRYS es un colectivo creado por dos estudiantes artistxs, León Currie y Bo Genis, en 2018.

El objetivo del Colectivo 2LABRYS es usar una variedad de medios artísticos para para generar conciencia sobre conceptos como la identidad y expresión de género, la sexualidad, y el feminismo.

Puede encontrar más de 2LABRYS en Instagram bajo el hashtag #2LABRYS.

**************** 2LABRYS is an collective created by two student artists, Leon Currie and Bo Genis, in 2018.

2LABRYS’ goal is to use a variety of artistic mediums to generate awareness about concepts including gender identity and expression, sexuality, and feminism.

You can find more of 2LABRYS on Instagram under the hashtag #2LABRYS.

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#2LABRYS 2018