This year we’re celebrating Pride at Edelman by shining a spotlight on our LGBTQIA+ colleagues: their stories, experiences and reflections on what it means to be queer today.
Name: Virgilio Jarrin (Veer-hee-lee-oh Ha-rreen)
Pro-nouns: he/him
Sexual Orientation: Gay
What does Pride mean for you in 2023?
This year’s Pride has a special taste for me as I came out to my parents just last December – (yes, I know – shocking to come out in my 30's when I’ve known this all my life). My parents are a bit bittersweet about the whole conversation still. I know and accept that it will take them a while, considering their upbringing and social context, my parents live in my native country Ecuador, a quite conservative society. However I’m excited that this Pride will be the first in which I can upload a picture with my boyfriend of 5 years and our queer friends, celebrating our community openly, not hiding my identity. In some sort of way, it is my actual first Pride celebration as, before, I wasn’t fully proud of being my true self in the world. It will be a celebration of the journey I’ve been through, but also a call to action to keep on helping others feel safe and free.
What is the biggest intergenerational difference that you have noticed within the LGBTQIA+ community?
I love seeing a hopeful, more comfortable, more rebellious, and more accepting younger generation around us. There are several studies that talk about how people across Gen Z and Gen Alpha are embracing queer identities now more than ever, engaging in queer expression as part of daily life. I sometimes wish I had grown up in a time when queer shows and narratives were openly shown on daytime TV, when queer people could become politicians or acclaimed stars and when conversation around identity was accepted at school. But, I know that it’s the result of the work we have done and the experiences we’ve gone through that have inspired this change in a new generation. I’m hopeful that they can achieve a happier and safer future with this fresh point of view in life.
Who is your LGBTQIA+ role model and why? What can we learn from them?
I have been challenged about this person being a queer icon and role model or not, but for me Lizzo is someone who is doing a lot for our (and many other) communities. She is one of the only mainstream artists that have chosen to use her platform to promote equity – risking her own reputation and career for her ideals. She stands for the rights of Black people. She stands for women. She stands for body positivity. She stands for the queer community. And she stands for the intersectionality of it all with a very powerful testimony. We can all learn from Lizzo to be braver, louder and unapologetic about our existence. She celebrates her own body and identity without asking for permission. She elevates others even though some will stop following her. And she defies social norms even though doing so may cause an uproar and boycott against her music. But she believes in her ideal and chooses to speak out for them. This is something we should all do more often.
