Queer in Medicine

I came out at 16 years old while living in the small conservative town of Lancaster, an hour from Los Angeles, CA. Growing up I heard adults in my community, and even my family, make negative commentary on anyone suspected of being gay. I grew up fearing the word “marica” and “joto.” I dreaded the word “faggot.” I struggled to make sense of how I could reconcile my love for my community and my Latinidad with the pain I felt from the machismo being upheld. Most importantly, I feared those words would be directed at me and that someone would uncover my truth. It is this hyper awareness that became a root to my empathy and my ability to sense when someone is feeling unheard or unseen.

After watching the machismo around me, I feared I would be disowned and rejected by my family if I chose to share my truth. This was the narrative I created prior to coming out. My experience, unlike many others, was the opposite. My family stands firm at my side and continues to proudly celebrate me, my queerness, and my journey in medicine. I carve out space for others to feel seen as their full selves because I know personally how critical it is for addressing wellness, resilience, and ultimately navigating a journey in medicine.

I am committed to a career that is intersectional and centered around social justice and health equity. For over 15 years, I have participated in leading mentorship efforts of Latinx and LGBTQIA+ pre-meds through leadership roles in organizations like LMSA, MiMentor, and Queering Medicine. I have been on the frontlines protesting for the rights of queer people and Latinx communities, and I have created curricula to educate my peers in understanding the complexity of queer and Latinx experiences. I show up as my full self wherever I go because we should not have to choose Latinidad over queerness or any other parts of our identity; and will continue this as a pediatrican.

My recent work in medical school centers around narrative and visibility. As Co-Founder and lead organizer of Queering Medicine I continue to participate in health advocacy. I use this platform to create space for LGBTQIA+ medical students to serve the nearby communities. As Mentorship Co-chair for LMSA-MW, I co-created “Nuestras Historias” to transform the culture of mentorship and uplift the many journeys we take to become physicians. I have learned that visibility and authenticity matter through reflection. If our rising LMSA physicians and physician mentors feel empowered to be unashamed of their adversities then we can also uplift the communities we serve to feel the same.

There was a sense of peace I felt in watching my mother die from pancreatic cancer knowing that she was leaving the physical world seeing my authentic self- a joto (gay) Guatemalan feminist living in the interstitial spaces. I hope that sharing my vulnerabilities and being visible with my narrative, others in LMSA will feel unashamed of their journey.