A review by nestorandres92
High-Risk Homosexual by Edgar Gomez

4.0

¡Gracias Edgar! I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where the author's absent father is from. Similar to many countries in Latin America, the culture I have been immersed in most of my life still has deep-seated "machismo" and homophobia. This was especially my experience growing up in conservative-evangelical churches. I have spent much of my twenties deconstructing all of this. I am so grateful for this raw, vulnerable, honest story from someone that shares a similar cultural background. I was broken by the lack of safety he experienced as a young person, shamed and rejected by a family that inevitably pushed him to seek the embrace of others in spaces that were not ideal for a minor. For that reason, I hope this book falls in the hands of many parents grappling with this so-called "issue". But Edgar doesn't just narrate his personal experiences as a queer Latinx man. He also subtly, and at times not so subtly, exposes the evil of "machismo" and homophobia, which doesn't just deeply hurt the LGBTQ community and women, but also results in subpar men. I was especially grateful for chapter 7 where he interweaves his story with that of Omar Mateen while also facing the pain left by the Club Pulse shooting in 2016 in his hometown of Orlando, one of those moments that I still remember where I was when I found out about. This chapter alone was a masterpiece in writing! To be honest, this book was at times hard to read, but I'm so glad I did!