Inconvenient Identity: Magnus鈥� Story

Apr 23, 2021

Magnus has a heartbreaking conversation with their mom as she dices onions. In this video, created in a filmmaking workshop led by and , Magnus tries to make their mother understand their desire to live authentically. 鈥淚 just wanna live like you,鈥� Magnus says. 鈥淟ive as a woman and maybe just get a job.鈥� But family rejection leaves Magnus feeling like an 鈥渁lien鈥� and leads them to self-harm.

can make a lifesaving difference for LGBTQ youth, than their cisgender, heterosexual peers to experience depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and other negative health outcomes. Organizations including and offer support, training, and resources for parents, families, and allies who want to better support the LGBTQ people in their lives. In the U.S., offers a 24-hour free, confidential hotline for LGBTQ youth who are struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide (1-866-488-7386).

This film was produced with support from , the 鈥淓ngaging the Next Latinx Allies for Change and Equity鈥� program at . ENLACE builds solidarity and amplifies youth voices, connecting Latinx and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth in fighting the epidemic of social isolation affecting our queer youth today. Learn more about how these videos give youth the opportunity to transform their experiences with isolation into powerful tools that help others in ENLACE director Jonathan Garcia鈥檚 commentary.

Jonathan Garcia , Ph.D., is Assistant Professor and Program Director of . Born in Medellin, Colombia, his work strives to achieve health equity for Latinx queer immigrants like himself. As Program Director of the ENLACE Program, he amplifies the voices of queer youth to bridge solidarity for public health and social justice. Jonathan earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University. In 2021, he was awarded the ASPPH Early Career Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding teaching and mentoring. He is a Public Voices Fellow with . Jonathan lives in Corvallis, Oregon, and speaks Spanish, English and Portuguese.