HIV, Masculinity and Growing Up Latino

It’s no secret that our current generation is our ancestors’ wildest dreams. They support us and institute the value of family and community as best as they know. The typical traditions that come with our Latino parents are being unpacked in a special conversation hosted by Living Y Ready on LATV with panelists: media personality Erick Velasco, scholar and artist, Alfredo Trejo and Ray Fernandez, who is currently an AMFT and is a patient care manager on a Medical Care Coordination Team working with HIV positive clients.

Our panelists are answering all of the questions —even how masculine culture has affected them since they were younger.

“I think it’s like a lot for Latinos, we came to this country to build a better life. You are ‘supposed’ to have this career, get married, have kids, the American Dream.” Alfredo Trejo

How do we know when these roles being created in our culture are narrow?

“I came out to my dad when I was 15. He was very supportive, but one of the first things that came out of his mouth is was: ‘you don’t wanna die because you had sex with someone, so, always wear a condom,’ coming out to him and telling him I’m HIV positive was so hard because he was like: you don’t wanna get this virus,” Trejo shares that his parents had a negative perception of the virus but supportive reaction to his revelation.

On the other hand, having gone through a similar situation when he was 15, Fernandez shares his experience coming out. “That was literally what my mom said to me: ‘Don’t get AIDS and die.’ That was the only message [back then] Being gay and having HIV/AIDS and dying was synonymous.”  

Their parents’ response in the late 90s, although supportive, was immediately linked to a negative message, something that has changed over the years thanks to education and activism. 

“Our bar for what we consider ‘support’ is so low. What I always ask for all of us for a gay man, is that bar needs to be a lot higher. The challenge of being someone’s child, especially, is via biology and our parents. We just want their love. They’re in the parental role, but your role as a child, it is not your job to try to secure your parent’s love,” says Ray Fernandez.

We are beyond excited to premiere the first episode of LYR (Living Y Ready) 

“Living y Ready” means living ready for all the changes, experiences and challenges that come with life after seroconversion.

In this new short form series produced by LATV’s LGBTQ+ creator community, we’re reframing the narrative around HIV through informative segments, candid conversations and queer expression.