Costa Rica's Pride Is Soon! | TWB [CC]

Hello everyone and welcome to another video of The Wheels Blog.
It is Pride

Month 2019 and Costa Rica’s Pride is in about 2 weeks. So I decided to

make this video and I really
hope that everyone out there enjoys it

[Music]

When I was 15 years old I came out
to this guy over here. He was one of

the first people.

Well actually the first one was his wife.
And then it was him. So yeah.

Anyways let's see, Danny. Say hi to everyone.
[Danny: Hi]. So Danny. What did you

think when I told you… I took you to
the backyard and I told you I'm gay

and I don't know what to
do. What did you think of that.

Well so yeah. We were in the backyard
that day. He was so nervous. He.

I remember. He couldn't even speak
a word. It was my wife who said

at the end because again you were
so freaking nervous. It was hilarious

for me because I always knew. I felt
like I always knew. We were brothers

and we shared a lot of things together.

We noticed certain things. My older
brother and me we always suspected.

I mean, it felt nice at the same time
because of the level of trust that you

had with me was,

It was nice.
[Alex] I told you I was gay, and I remember

that it was through a text message.

No worries, I can cut that out.
[Dad] No I mean, I reacted like this.

[Alex] Where were you?
[Dad] At the office meeting with some people. I was interviewing

someone, and I read the text and had to put the
phone away and answer later.

[Alex] Yeah! And what did you tell me?
[Dad] That, for me, the most important thing

was how people act and not how they were catalogued.

I think

You know well the factor of being.
a gay person out of the closet has been

like always. Like. Kind of

visible for me like I say because
my family like I have, a couple of uncles

who are gay

And out of the closet so I will say
I was used to it. But then of course

like

Getting into the university and seeing
like everyone is really expressive

and like many people are really confident
about who they are. I thought

it was a cool

Well, at first, it took me by surprise. I have to say it wasn’t
something I was expecting. But…

As time has gone by, I have been learning, that people

have a right to be different… Ummm…

They have a right to have their different orientations.
It’s all good

as long as they don’t seek harming, but simply be

themselves. And well I, I can say I’m very proud of

who my son is. And that is independent from his sexuality.

I know he’s a fighter, and that even with his
disability he has achieved

a lot of things, big things, that other people
with all of their

health in good state, they wouldn’t achieve.

[Music]

Well, challenges, I’ve seen cases of their working difficulties. To

be accepted. I know they also have a lot of problems with

building a family. Adopting is tough for them.

I wish one day society will open up to these changes,

and understand that it is not their sexual orientation
what defines them

as parents, but instead, they are simply

good people who can have good jobs and all, and therefore,

build a family.
[Veronica] You know, get people to listen to

To your experiences and having empathy
about who you are like. Like the

university is supposed to be like
a safe place. You know like

Sometimes is still. You know. Pretty. Violent.
Against. Like where you are and like

comments are. Out there every single
day and like, people stare at you.

Sometimes you know you get the sense
that it's not like people just looking

at you and checking out your outfit
or whatever it's just like a stare,

you know I guess it's different.

They don't see what you have to
go through. You know and that's hard because

when you don't check your privileges then.
You there's no way in which

you can be aware of it.
[ Danny] I think about certain things that

might be complicated in this country
because it's not broadly accepted

yet but

The elections, right? The main topic of the elections on our

country was based on on gay marriage
and all of these human rights

stuff because of the two candidates
main ideas right. And people here in

Costa Rica is very very religious.
So if it is not something that

they are constantly thinking.
It touches people.

I mean the the people's
main basic ideas.

So it was very controversial and the
country was divided in two basically

because of gay rights.

And it was hard, right? Maybe even you hear people
that you love saying stuff

that hurts. It divides families
it was just horrible.

I mean, just seeing people
speak certain things that you didn't even

think they think . At the same time I don't
blame them. These processes

always takes time.

Breaking barriers in the mind, in
people's mind is the hardest.

And how do you feel about those cases
we know of gay and lesbian

or transexual friends that have been forced
to flee their

homes because their families abuse and attack them

and they don’t feel protected in their families.
[Mom] I feel sad because above all

I knew I would become a mother and well
we want the best for our children.

I mean, I think life gives you so
many random challenges

Well, we need to be prepared to fight
and help your children

to fight as well, to keep up.

I'm a woman who's life has been challenging
in many ways and...

I think I'm a fighter. I would never let a child of mine
be homeless.

I wouldn't stand it. I wouldn't be in peace.
I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

You have a daughter.
What do you think

Is it OK to have like a
gay figure in your daughter's family

You know like a gay uncle being there and
you know who's always going to express

himself and his sexuality. How do you
think that affects your daughter?
[Danny] I think that is excellent

in the sense that I
want her to grow to accept

[those] ... situations because this is
going to be more, more and more

normal with the years. I want her to
grow up like that knowing that it

could be normal because even the day
of tomorrow she can came to me and

say that she is a lesbian. If that happens
I want her to feel on a safe country, right?

Not like the last year.

[Music]

If there was a young person watching in this right moment,
what would you tell them

in this Pride month 2019, if that person has not yet
explored

their sexuality, or is in the process of doing so?
What would you tell them?

Just like any other decision, they shouldn't be taken
lightly. They should be consolidated and reflected upon.

and above all, well, look for

people to talk to and ask for advice.

Well, I would tell them to not get desperate. To remember
that God loves us all above

our different characteristics. I would also tell them

to be a bit patient. To ask God to send them the right

people. Sometimes family is not a blood bond,
sometimes family is

the friends you make along the way.

To not despair,

to keep going forward. To be the way you feel best.

I will say like be patient. Try to be yourself,
try to find things that you like

and maybe safe spaces. Don't be
scared to ask or to look for people

that can just be next to you and listen to your questions or like

doubts or whatever you feel.
Community makes us stronger. And also like

look for people that can just be by
your side along the way.
[Danny] Well, I would

tell them

Well, to keep pushing... it is hard
again to to break those barriers but

the fight needs to happen.

Otherwise it is going to be
always hard. I mean for future, future generations

keep in mind that it is something
that you are fighting for other people

as well. So. You are going to make
a better world for future generations.

[Alex] Thanks so much, mom!
[Mom] You're welcome!

[Alex] Thank you so much. I love you
just the way you are. You know
[Veronica] Yeah sure.

that. Can I get a hug?
[Veronica] Yeah sure. I love you too!

Sounds good. Thanks bro.

That's all

I always wanted to make a video like
this one where I sit down with my

family and friends and ask them about
how they feel about Pride month about

the LGBT plus community and about me
being part of their lives and being gay.

The video turned out to be actually
very emotional for me to film because

these are the people that I
felt the most supported with throughout my

life and no one their opinion about
these kind of things actually made

me realize how lucky I am and how much
privilege I got because I live in

a welcoming family and that's
not the reality of everyone else.

I came out in 2011 when I was
15 years old but that doesn't mean that that

has to be the rule that everyone follows.
Coming out is a really tough

thing to do and it's actually one of
the toughest decisions in your life.

Due to the society that we live in
right now. So I want to really encourage

everyone to know that it is OK
to come out whenever you feel ready

It doesn't mean that if you come out as
early as I did you're gonna have the

greatest life and and you're going
to enjoy your sexuality the most

It is OK you come out when you're
12 when you're 20 or when you're 40.

It doesn't really matter as long as
you feel okay with who you are. I would

also like to invite everyone out there
to join Costa Rica's pride on June

23rd. It's going to be the 10 year
anniversary of the pride and I think

it's gonna be really awesome and it's
gonna be filled with love and joy

and pride of who we are. Pride Month
is a time to remember those who helped

us and contributed and fought in order
for us to have what we have right

now and to celebrate those people that
are actually fighting nowadays to

shape the world that future generations
are going to have.

But it is also time to remember who we are
and to be proud of who we have become.

I hope you like this video remember
to give it a thumbs up and subscribe

to my channel if you haven't yet and
remember to share this video with

family and friends so you can spread
out the love. Thank you very much

and see you next time.

[Music]