So, the book is...
It's co-written by myself and my sister, Marisol.
And Marisol is transgender.
She's a transgender woman.
And what we wanted to do
was share our story in both voices
as a cis woman and a trans woman.
And talk about the different experiences
that she was going through as she transitioned
and the experiences
that I was going through
as she transitioned
and the family.
Because when we talk about
transgender people,
or people in the LGBT community,
we usually don't include the family.
You know, we don't share that side.
There's also a huge psychological
process for the family and the people around.
Yeah, and that's basically, the book is that.
It's basically shedding light on
what it was like for her as she was transitioning,
and what it was like for us as a family transitioning,
-supporting her. -Wow.
Do you know what I mean? Because it wasn't always perfect
because we're not claiming to be perfect.
I made a lot of mistakes.
I used a lot of...
the wrong pronouns in the beginning.
I felt that I was losing a sibling.
A sibling that I grew up feeling,
"This is the person that I know. Now I'm going to lose that person."
Do you know what I mean?
There's a mourning--
A real mourning that you go through
when someone that you love is transitioning.
And you don't know.
So now,
hopefully this is the book
that will educate people.
Show you empathy for people. You know what I mean?
I'm so excited.
-Yeah, no, I'm really excited about it. -And we never, and we do--
We hear the stories of the person going through it.
-We don't hear what happened to-- -But what about the family?
Yeah, and what happens really in that in the Latino community?
And we're just starting to accept it in our Latino communities.
Because in our Latino communities,
let alone...
you know, LGBT
-and going through the process-- -Yeah.
Sexuality. It's like--
But there are a lot of people in our community
-that take part in that quote unquote-- -The activities.
-In the activities. -But won't say it.
But won't say that they're gay.
-Absolutely. -You know what I mean?
Because I know from just talking
to other trans people and other--
-Just people in the community. -Yeah.
And the LGBT community where you're like,
"No." You know?
Not everybody identifies
as queer.
But they're certainly...
willing to partake.
-You know what I mean? -Exactly.
So there's a lot of that. We talk about the abuse...
-...that trans women go through. -Yes, yes.
Writing this book
has been one of the hardest...
things.
Sorry, I wasn't expecting that.
One of the hardest things I think that I had to go through
and see my sister go through.
But, it's a celebration.
I'm getting emotional for many reasons.
For the reason of
it's a celebration.
And also for the reasons of
the heartache
and the honesty
that we had to put into this book
and feeling really naked.
-Vulnerable. -I feel very vulnerable.
The idea that this book is coming out,
as excited as I am,
it's scary
because we are being
so transparent and...
it's scary for me,
but my sister Marisol,
I can't even begin to tell you
how she has motivated me
to just be a better person.
I'm just want people to empathize.
You don't have to agree.
You don't.
But you should respect.
Always.
-You have to just-- -You know what I'm saying?
Yo, live your life,
-mind your business. -Live your life.
And let everybody live theirs.
Accept people for who they are.
We should not fear
-for speaking our truths. -No.
-Right. -Okay.
Live in your truth.
-Live in your truth. -What a beautiful
opportunity you're bringing
to many out there that need to hear this.
That have never heard it.
That need to experience this along with you.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
I'm hoping to give those families that are going through that
almost like a reference book.
And I think it's important to say,
we are children of immigrants.
You know, Latinos in the Bronx.
Like, that wasn't, you know?
We didn't grow up understanding.
Like, trends today is a thing.
Like, people are talking about it more. There's shows about it.
There's people that are successful winning awards and all this stuff.
But let me tell you something,
that was not the case just a decade ago.
Ten years ago, that was not a thing.
-And especially in our community-- -Women are fighting for rights still now.
Right. Especially in our community.
So, it's like... yeah.
So, I think that there is something to be said.
Also, I look at my parents
and I have to give it to them and be like--
You know, my mother's this Catholic woman,
a Dominicana Católica.
And she was like, "That's my child."
-Wow. -"That's my daughter. That's my child."
-So if my mother-- -A pioneer.
-She's a pioneer. -That's a pioneer.
Wow, what an icon.
So that's what we're really excited about the book.
And we're hoping and praying
that through our struggles
and everything that we had to go through,
and everything Marisol had to go through,
and my parents and my siblings.
Somebody's life
will be saved.
Because people in the LGBT community,
trans people in general right now,
if they don't have the support,
like a home base,
-where do you turn? -Exactly.
Where do you turn?