Gay-Tex-Mex: Autoethnographic Vignettes

Abstract

A series of autoethnographic narrative vignettes recount the author’s personal memories from his upbringing in Texas as a Mexican American and his emergent identity as a gay man. The vignettes begin with episodes that profile Texas culture during the 1960s–1970s with an emphasis on cowboy and Hispanic cultures. The vignettes then recount specific boyhood moments with the author’s parents and their influence on his adolescent development as a closeted gay Hispanic. Following are brief narratives about ethnic discrimination experienced during secondary school. The stories then profile his training as a theatre artist and educator, and how gay Hispanic cultures blossomed during his university years, despite his closeted relationship with his parents. The piece concludes with a moment from late adulthood when he learns an undisclosed family secret, and the author reflects on how growing up in “Gay-Tex-Mex” cultures influenced his identity.