Puerto Rico: From Scary to Enchantment
In Puerto Rico, we have a very complex culture as we have European, African, and Caribbean Taino influences everywhere you look in the country. Along with that complexity, you have a very conservative Roman-Catholic foundation and a new mix of American culture coming into the island changing further the dynamics in the island. With how beautiful the island is, it’s easy to see why all these diverse people would come to the “Isla del Encanto” or “The Island of Enchantment”.
Growing up in Puerto Rico in the ’80s and early ’90s was no different than the mainland USA. Rock was everywhere on the airwaves; travel was fluent between the island and mainland, and even the issues of the mainland USA affected us just like if you were there.
We have supported military service since 1899 and more famously with the 65th Infantry Division, so every time the US was involved in something on the world stage, we would too. I still remember the Panama invasion and Desert Storm as a child and recall where I was when both happened. So even though separated by 1000 miles of ocean, we are closer to the USA today than you might think.
With all this baggage and complexity, you would think that it would be virtually impossible for someone in the LGBTQ+ community to come out and be accepted by anyone there. Honestly, it was during those days! I remember anyone coming out or showing signs of being gay, would be stigmatized, bullied, beaten, and even murdered just for who they were. As our little slice of paradise has evolved in its identity, so has the acceptance of who we are.
Today that is not the case. Just like most of the advanced world has accepted us, Puerto Rico has legalized gay marriage, banned conversion therapy, allowed you to change your gender marker without surgery, made LGBT discrimination illegal, and allowed same-sex adoption; just to mention a few. The island has changed its stance against our people in a big way. It has changed so much that there are even very well-known pockets on the island where it’s publicly celebrated year-round! The small island of Vieques off the coast, the cities of San Juan (the capital), and Cabo Rojo (my favorite beach town) are covered with our colors flying high and Proud! This makes me so proud to be a Puerto Rican, more than anything else in the world because it shows that we can learn and overcome anything and bring that Puerto Rican love and hospitality to EVERYONE, no matter where you are from or who you are as a person.
With this new wave of acceptance and positive change, I gathered my courage to finally come out as who I am to my friends and family. What was the reaction? “We always knew we just wanted you to bring it up. We love you no matter what." After a huge hug and some tears of happiness, I got what Puerto Rican always do to anyone that comes to their home… “Now, let us go eat and have a drink!" Yeah, it was that easy across the board! To this day, not a single person has shunned me or pushed me aside. Nothing has changed in our relationships and things carried on to this day like they always were. Everyone was more worried about where we were going to eat or what beach we were visiting this time (too many to choose). My identity was never questioned… the way it should always be!
While things were different when I was growing up, being able to experience now as an adult how much the culture has changed positively makes me hopeful that the trajectory will continue in the proper direction. It makes me very happy that what I saw when I was younger will hopefully not happen as it did back then and be the exception to the situation. While there is always work to continue on our little island in the Caribbean, it's nice to know that my home can be a beacon of acceptance in a world where acceptance is not everywhere. When you think things cannot change, if this complex island can, it can be achieved everywhere else!
While I know that not every story has a happy ending, mine sure does.
Today I can say, together with my family and friends, that I am a proud US Army veteran, executive professional, and Puerto Rican trans woman without fear or prejudice. That love does prevail on the Island of Enchantment. Have a happy and Proud Hispanic Heritage month!