{"id":1280,"date":"2015-10-15T21:59:37","date_gmt":"2015-10-15T21:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/?p=1280"},"modified":"2015-10-15T21:59:37","modified_gmt":"2015-10-15T21:59:37","slug":"the-new-guat-times-an-interview-with-one-of-guatemalas-glbt-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized\/the-new-guat-times-an-interview-with-one-of-guatemalas-glbt-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"The New-Guat Times: An interview with one of Guatemala\u2019s GLBT youth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2012<\/a><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Jillian Szacki<\/strong><\/p>\n

When 22-year-old Jos\u00e9 Perez isn\u2019t busy studying Graphic Design in Guatemala City, Perez likes to hang out with his friends, relax at home with his family, and go to the movies with his boyfriend. Perez is part of the growing GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) community in Guatemala, who choose to embrace their sexual identities.<\/p>\n

Perez says he realized at a young age that he was gay, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t know that it was something very bad in my culture.\u201d Like most GLBT youth, Perez found himself on the receiving end of a substantial amount of bullying. \u201cThey would always make fun of me because I liked Britney Spears and because of the way I walk,\u201d Perez reflects.<\/p>\n

Over time, Perez was able to find the strength to ignore the taunting and the name calling. \u201cI learned how to not pay any attention to it. It made me stronger and taught me how to defend myself. I just started to accept the bullying as a joke. If it was just a joke, it wouldn\u2019t affect me so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Perez\u2019s vigor to brush off the bullying, he remained in the closet about his sexuality. \u201cI knew I was definitely gay because I looked at boys a different way,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I also felt like I had to hide my sexuality from everyone.\u201d As a teenager, Perez tried to live a \u2018normal \u2019 life and even had a girlfriend for seven months. \u201cI dated her, but the whole time I knew I was denying my reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

After years of hiding his sexuality from his family and friends, Perez decided to come out when he was 17-years-old. \u201cIt happened a day after my high school graduation,\u201d he says. \u201cI was very nervous and thought my parents were going to kick me out of their house. I remember telling them through many tears.\u201d Perez\u2019s family and friends accepted the news with open minds and open hearts. \u201cThey know who I am and they love me for who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perez met his current boyfriend through mutual friends and the pair have been dating for eleven months since. \u201cDating isn\u2019t too hard,\u201d Perez explains. \u201cYou just have to be as discreet as possible. If you don\u2019t attract any attention, no one is going to mess with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Homosexuality has been decriminalized in Guatemala since 1871, however, the GLBT community continues to struggle against discrimination, harassment and in many cases, violent attacks. There are a number of Guatemalan support groups for the GLBT community, including: OASIS (Organizaci\u00f3n de Apoyo a una Sexualidad Integral frente al Sida) and REDNADS (Red Nacional de la Diversidad Sexual de Guatemala).<\/p>\n

The future for the GLBT of Guatemala is unknown, but Perez is hopeful. \u201cI dream that we can act like a normal couple in public. I dream that we don\u2019t have to hide anything.\u201d In regards to his own future, Perez says, \u201cI see myself working hard, living in a nice house, and experiencing the best of life with my family, friends \u2013 and of course, with my boyfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jillian is a recent university graduate from Canada. She has always had an inherent interest in Latin America and is very excited to be traveling throughout the area. She believes in listening to the voices of the marginalized and in living a sustainable lifestyle..<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jillian Szacki When 22-year-old Jos\u00e9 Perez isn\u2019t busy studying Graphic Design in Guatemala City, Perez likes to hang out with his friends, relax at home with his family, and go to the movies with his boyfriend. Perez is part of the growing GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) community in Guatemala, who choose to embrace their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7ljt7-kE","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1940,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/politics\/this-is-just-the-beginning\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":1280,"position":0},"title":"A new alliance called \u00abThis is just the beginning!\u00bb","author":"EntreMundos","date":"10 noviembre, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This year\u2019s massive social mobilizations in Guatemala won\u2019t just become history; they have a future, as the October 15th event \u201cThis is Just the Beginning\u201d showed in Guatemala City. 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