Sebastian BlondetIn the summer of 2017, Sebastian was “outed” by his aunt while on a trip home to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Reflecting on the complications of slowly coming out as queer and trans to family and friends, Sebastian notes, “It took time and a lot of talking, waiting for the other person to understand. Because I understand that parents need time, because once you're born and they assign a gender, the parents start immediately fantasizing about your future.” Both LaGuardia and online communities have been a valuable resource. “It’s interesting to go to events that have to do with gender identity or gender expression. I also do a lot of research, I read, I watch a lot of videos, I follow a lot of YouTubers, and the more I learn, the more I open my mind to it. And it helps me figure it out. Also it helps me to accept the fact that I don't have to identify as anything if I don't want to.”

Photo Credit: Antonia Henry