Redefining Queerness Within the Latinx Community: A Talk with Sergio Gonzalez

Students close out their discussion with Sergio Gonzalez in the Alonso Family room.

Credit: Amani Bayo

By Amani Bayo

Education scholar Sergio Gonzalez explores the meaning of joteria or queerness within the Latinx community for the first time with students on Sept. 21.

Gonzalez said joteria had previously been used as an offensive term in the Spanish language to refer to gay men in Mexican and Mexican communities. He said his studies are surrounded by reclaiming the term, theorizing it, and applying its meaning to academic research.

“Growing up, my whole life being called ‘joto’ was a very derogatory word, ” Gonzalez said. “I’m going to use joteria identity and consciousness to do research with queer students of color.” 

In reclaiming the term joteria and exploring what gender means to queer individuals in the Latinx community, Gonzalez said he considers the joteria identity to be one rooted in radical queer love and a term of empowerment for gender-nonconforming realities and experiences.

Gonzalez’s research explores how higher education intersects with queerness and experiences among the queer community by engaging in pláticas- which, unlike interviews, is an intimate conversation meant to engage with contributors as knowledge creators and draw on life experiences to create a potential space for healing- that often can not be detected through heteronormative practices. 

“For me, it humanizes research," Gonzalez said. “I’m intentional about using co-creators instead of participants.” 

Gonzalez said he distinguishes his research by connecting with people on a personal level to research criteria. He said understanding the lived experiences of people within his community is key to bringing this culture into academic study.

“I'm not just researching and getting scores and participants to use as data,” Gonzalez said." We’re talking about our own experiences, we’re sharing narratives, we’re creating a space.”

Rebecca Cepeda, a fourth-year graduate student in higher education said she, like many students, was excited to learn about the culture within joteria. 

“Hearing about joteria is a new term for me and I know interrogating my Mexican culture, how traditions, ways of thinking, and how things have changed is inspiring to hear about,” Cepeda said.

Cepeda said she encourages all students to explore joteria as intimately as Gonzalez does to support the resistance against oppression toward queer communities of color. 

“I appreciate that he goes about it with love,” Cepeda said. “I would encourage students to come out. A lot of students at Ohio State that don’t feel like they belong can learn something from it.”

Gonzalez said there is value in studying relationships within communities as culture can be theorized along with identities through mirco-affirmations.

“[It’s] Everyday forms of affirmation and validation that people of color engage within a variety of public and private settings. Those nods, smiles, embraces that express acknowledgment and affirm self-worth,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he gained the skills to be open with others through his own lived experiences which allowed him to be more vulnerable in sharing meaningful parts of himself. 

“Before I went into academia I was a makeup artist for three years and I think that heightened these research skills that I have,” Gonzalez said.

Students said they enjoyed Gonzalez’s openness when characterizing himself as a neurodivergent, joto, and Pisces in his initial introduction as certain labels are often infrequently mentioned. 

Gonzalez said he would be open to speaking with more students about criteria to create further discussion on campus.

“When we share things about ourselves, when we are vulnerable, that's a gift,” Gonzalez said.