RJ Robles interviews Jay Lopez about his experience as a gay Latino and drag performer in Tennessee. Jay shares his struggles with machismo culture, his pursuit of his acting dreams, and how the women in his life supported him through his journey. RJ and Jay also discuss the impact that recent anti-trans bills in Tennessee have had on them personally and in their communities.

 

Jay Lopez was born and raised in México, from Guadalajara, Jalisco. He lives in the United States, and is an actor, comedian, husband, son, brother, uncle, activist and your best ally. He is pro life and always creating content on his social media. Loyal, blessed, loved. You will find him trying new restaurants, on a stage, in front of a camera or translating for someone that is in need.

 

Follow Jay on social media @soyjaylopez

 

Encuentros Latinx is part of the Gender and Sexualities Justice Ministries of the United Church of Christ and is funded by the Carpenter Foundation.

 

Episode credits:

Producers: Taylor Ramage, Yuris Martinez

Editor: StormMiguel Florez

Host: RJ Robles

Quality Assurance and Oversight: Rhina Ramos

 

Music by Oleksii Holubiev from Pixabay

https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=123412"

 

Learn about our church toolkits on racism, LGBTQ inclusion, and transgender stories. https://www.ucc.org/what-we-do/justice-local-church-ministries/justice/health-and-wholeness-advocacy-ministries/encuentros-latinx-toolkits/ 

 

Email Rhina Ramos at ramosr @ucc.org to learn about our pastoral coaching program.

Today's episode features SFF author Nico Vazquez, whose short story is appearing in the Latine anthology Places We Build in the Universe. Join us as we chat about finding communities you need in unexpected places, even if you think they aren't there.

This is the last one-on-one interview episode of Encuentros Latinx. We're switching to a seasonal format! This means we'll be on hiatus until spring, except for a special episode covering our presence at Creating Change this February.

 

Instagram: stilesig_

Twitter: knowingstiles 

YouTube: Stilesig ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3Kx9BzIywgb4b9RPajulQ )

ignicovazquez.weebly.com

 

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]

My guest today is Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez, who is another colleague of mine in the forthcoming young adult anthology Where Monsters Lurk and Magic Hides. The book comes out on November 10th and it’s perfect for fans of sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and horror who are looking for Latine stories. On the podcast, Linda shares about a favorite worship song that came from a spiritual church mother and how artistic expression was always an integral part of her church experience. We also talk about the power and beauty in Lizzo’s flute playing, and the problems with policing Latinx identity in the book publishing world. Stick around for the end of the episode where Linda shares an excerpt from her short story called “When They Come.” Let’s get right into this encuentro.

You can find Linda's debut short story in the Reclaim the Stars SFF Anthology! 

Twitter - @MissLindaBennet

Instagram & Tiktok - @linda.reads

The new Encuentros Latinx Trans Visibility toolkit is now live! You can download it and our other toolkits here: https://www.ucc.org/what-we-do/justice-local-church-ministries/justice/health-and-wholeness-advocacy-ministries/proyecto-encuentros-de-gracia-y-bienvenida-toolkits/

This new toolkit features stories from trans folks who you’ve heard on the podcast before–Ilán Carlos, Adora, and Yadi. This is an opportunity for you and your churches to open yourselves to the experiences of trans people, to learn, to grow, and to heal communities.

My guest today is another colleague of mine from the Latine anthology Where Monsters Lurk and Magic Hides, which comes out November 10th. Jarrard Raju is a fantasy author and proud witch. We have a great interfaith chat about their practice and experience of witchcraft, including how it’s represented in fantasy media and how its trendiness makes people inclined to hate it or ask practicing witches to show them something cool right off the bat without understanding the harm it can do in untrained hands. Stay tuned for the end of the episode where Jarrard shares an excerpt from their story “Under a Sea of Stars” about an afrolatino mermaid boy who falls in love with a human. Let’s get right into this encuentro.

Jarrard's social media

ig: @jarrardraju

Twt: @jarrardwrites

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]

On Thursday September 8 at 3:30 Eastern, be sure to tune into the UCC’s Thursdays for the Soul Webinar featuring a panel from the Colectivo of Latinx Ministries as we kick off Latinx Heritage Month. You may or may not see a familiar face and hear a familiar voice, haha! The webinar will be streamed on the UCC’s YouTube channel where you can also find video episodes of Encuentros Latinx, like this one!

My guest today is Adora Xannifer Ysaguirre and she gives us the second deep dive about music that we’ve had on the podcast. She also shares her journey of how the UCC became family to her as she transitioned and at the end of the episode, she reads her story published in the newest Encuentros Latinx toolkit focusing specifically on transgender inclusion. I truly enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do, too, so let’s get right into this encuentro.

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]

My guest today is one of my colleagues from the Latinx speculative fiction anthologies that I’ve discussed on the podcast before. M.G. Doherty is a speculative fiction author who has multiple upcoming publications, but I know her for her story “Borders Where Their Bodies Used to Be” which is forthcoming in the adult anthology, Places We Build in the Universe. Borders and liminality are really a through line in our conversation about identity and, for you listeners of a certain age, we both try our best not to make this the Sailor Moon podcast. Stick around to the end to hear an excerpt from “Borders Where Our Bodies Used to Be.”

Follow M.G. and keep up with her work

Instagram @mgdoherty Twitter @mg_doherty 

“Close your eyes and stay forever” short story in THEIR GHOULISH REPUTATION folk horror anthology (out October 2022) https://darklakepublishing.com/their-ghoulish-reputation/order/ 

Pre-order/order Swiftie anthology KISS YOUR DARLINGS (out July 2022) https://www.olneymagazine.com/store/p/a8cvayexqrpu4ljqto6du9axihrzao 

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]

Regular listeners will know that one question I ask all my guests is how they relate to the term “Latinx.” Well, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had her own thoughts in this article I found from June 2022. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ocasio-cortez-in-mini-rant-criticizes-democrats-for-railing-against-latinx-term/ar-AAY92ZF?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=95d33f12226f42eeaefe152b07bc8152 

 

AOC, if you wanna be on the podcast, let’s make it happen.

 

But today’s guest is Ilán Carlos and we delve deeply into discussion about music and spirituality, and how his transition made him more attuned (pun intended) to music’s effect on people. It’s a long one and a good one, so let’s get right into this encuentro.

 

Ilán’s FB: Ilán Carlos Pabellon Roman; Trueself Foundation

Ilán’s IG: @Ilan_carlos_musik; Trueself Foundation

 

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]

My guest today is Sana DelCorazón, whose spiritual journey spans from born-again evangelicalism to unitarianism to unitarians considering christ–our favorite UCC joke. We discuss coming out and family relationships and what Latinx inclusion in the church looks like. And, there’s a little bit of pentacostal pro-wrestling, as a treat. Let’s get right into this encuentro.

www.sanadelcorazon.com

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]

You may remember La Muna from one of our previous episodes. Well, she just wrote a reflection piece for Encuentros Latinx called "5 Loaves and 2 Fish" that you can now find on UCC.org. Encuentros Latinx posts monthly, short reflections for spiritual contemplation, so go check them out if devotional reading is part of your spiritual practice.

 

I’ve got a book recommendation for you today: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. It’s about a woman named Gifty who’s the daughter of Ghanain immigrants and is currently a neuroscience PhD candidate. But she comes from a strong Pentecostal background, a mother struggling with mental health issues, and a family tragedy that, over time, upended Gifty’s absolute faith in God. Gifty is forced to confront all of this when her mother enters into her worst spell with her mental health issues in many, many years. This is a phenomenal novel and Gifty’s story reminds me so much of the faith journeys that many of my guests have shared on this podcast.

 

Speaking of guests, today you’ll hear my conversation with RJ Robles, which spans from an incident with biting ants in Puerto Rico to an expansion and weaving together of multiple spiritualities. It’s quite a ride challenging every barrier of faith and gender, so let’s get right into this encuentro.

 

Encuentros Latinx reflection piece by La Muna: https://www.ucc.org/5-loaves-of-bread-and-2-fish/

 

RJ’s social media

Instagram: @boiricanjoy 

Facebook: RJ Robles

Today’s episode is the first of what will hopefully be several episodes beautifully combining two areas of my life: my work on this podcast and my work as an author. My guest is Lauren Davila, editor of many anthologies, including two Latinx anthologies coming out this fall. I have a fantasy short story in one of those anthologies. So as we get closer to publication, I’m hoping to bring you some of the other Latinx authors I’m being published with in future episodes.

Lauren and I have a wonderful conversation about fiction anthologies as community storytelling spaces and why she enjoys working on them. We also talk about the weird things that happen at Christian colleges and, briefly, whether you can still be Mexican and not like corn. All Latinx experiences are valid here, so let’s get right into this encuentro.

Lauren's Twitter: @laurengilmore03

Lauren's Instagram: @laurentdavila

Podcast recorded by Taylor Ramage and edited by Storm Miguel Florez

Email the podcast at [email protected]