This weeks episode centers around being a person of color, a member of the LGBTQ community and the manifestations of racism within health care. Gabriel is a strong man and a survivor, and hear from him about his story in this podcast, or read a little about him below:"I was born in Augsburg, Germany 06/16/1984 on a military base while my parents were in the United States Army. I am a 36 year old bi-racial gay man. I live in Aurora, CO with my mother, father, and younger brother who is developmentally/intellectually disabled. I knew I was gay once I went through puberty at 12 years of age during 6th grade. I came out to my parents when I was 14 in the summer after I completed middle school. My mother was accepting but my father was not. He was ashamed of me, was emotionally abusive, and did not take time to get to know me. Although, he was a poor parent before my coming out. He worked to provide for us as a family but beyond that he did nothing. He also was not a good parent with my brother. I graduated from high school early 05/26/2001. It was not until my college years that my father shaped up after my mother threatened him with divorce. I had a hard time being gay as I came out when I was young. I was bullied and harassed throughout middle school and high school. Luckily, I was never physically assaulted but bullies did make attempts to start fights with me. I was also lucky that my mother provided me with resources so I could make friends, be around other LGBTI people, and develop a stronger self-esteem. Colorado in my teenage years was a conservative state completely different from how it is now. The liberal enclaves of Colorado are Denver and Boulder. Aurora and other suburb cities around Denver are more libertarian than conservative. Rural cities and counties including the large city of Colorado Springs are very conservative. Currently, Colorado provides the LGBTI community full civil rights protections in all areas. It was not one the first states to do so but at least it came on board before many other midwestern and southern states did. I am glad to report that I have never experienced discrimination in obtaining education, employment, healthcare, and/or other services as a gay man. Although, I have experienced prejudice remarks and comments from time to time from mean spirited individuals. Once I was in college, my self-esteem and ability to stand up for myself were much stronger and I can now easily deal with prejudice individuals. As you know, I have just recently completed my RN-BSN program from the Denver College of Nursing in downtown Denver 06/19/2020. This is my second bachelors degree. My first one was in International Business from Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO 05/21/2005. I am scheduled to take my NCLEX-RN exam 08/24/2020 so I can obtain my Colorado RN license. I plan on becoming a mental health nurse as there are not enough nurses entering this specialty. In addition, I believe that it is important as a racial and sexual minority to show patients in my care that they can succeed in life regardless of the obstacles that are placed in their paths. I am excited to see what the future has in store for me."His story is inspiring to say the least and we hope you can learn something from this strong and courageous man.
