My guest today is Luis Ignacio Andrade. He's a writer whose collection of essays in He Played With Dolls, chronicles his life as a Latinx gay male growing up in a family dominated by machismo. The title highlights the stereotypes that folks have about gender and boys showing interest in "girl things":  dresses, dolls, and Barbies. 

In our chat today, Luis shares how he dealt with a lot of shame for those things growing up and how a seemingly small gesture from an uncle gave him a sense of acceptance when he needed it the most. 

He also shares how after a lot of bumps along the way, his relationship with his mom has done a complete 180, and today she is one of his biggest allies.  

If this episode leaves you with just one thing, I hope it's to remember a person who did that one thing or said that one thing that was so meaningful to you and left such an impression in your life that it's made the biggest difference. And I hope it inspires you to be a positive influence in someone else's life. 

mentioned in this episode:
The Velvet Rage by Alan Downs, Ph.D.

Follow Luis Ignacio Andrade on Instagram or at heplayedwithdolls.com

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Instagram: @thegaypodcast_foreveryone

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