Interview with: Alex Sanchez
Alex Sanchez is the critically acclaimed author of ten novels for young people, including the American Library Association “Best Book for Young Adults” Rainbow Boys and Lambda Award-winning So Hard to Say. His novel Bait won the Tomas Rivera Mexican-American Book Award and the Florida Book Award Gold Medal for Young Adult fiction. You Brought Me the Ocean, Alex’s graphic novel from DC Comics, was illustrated by Julie Maroh. An immigrant from Mexico, Alex received his master’s in guidance and counseling and worked for many years as a youth and family counselor. When not writing, he speaks around the country on the importance of being true to who you are. You can visit him at www.AlexSanchez.com
Below is a written interview conducted between the creator of Rainbow Stacks and Alex Sanchez.
RS: Do you have any new books, stories, or poems coming out soon that we should be excited for?
Alex: My most recently released book, The Greatest Superpower, is about twin boys whose dad comes out as trans. I’m now at work on a memoir about growing up gay and a Mexican immigrant.
RS: Do you have any life recommendations or advice for young people who are in the early stages of discovering their sexuality or gender identity?
Alex: Coming out can be a very freeing thing. You no longer have to hide who you are, censor what your say, and watch what you do. Being honest and open enables you to feel confident about yourself and more able to form close relationships with people.
But because homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia are so pervasive, you never know how others will react. Some people may accept you right away, others may take a while, and others may never accept you, even though you’re the same person you were before you came out. Part of coming out is being prepared to deal with negative reactions.
There is no rush to come out. TAKE YOUR TIME. Only you can decide if, how, with whom, and when to come out. The most important thing is that YOU love and accept yourself for who you are. For more thoughts, check out my web page: https://www.alexsanchez.com/coming-out
RS: Is there anything that you wish existed or that you had access to when you were in those early stages that would have made this process easier for you?
Alex: I wrote the books I wish had been available when I was a teen—books that would’ve told me, “It’s okay to be who you are.”
RS: What do you hope to accomplish as an author?
Alex: To help make the world a better place!
RS: How do you navigate being a queer BIPOC individual? How do you think it differs from the white queer community? Are there unique challenges that you face as an author?
Alex: Being both queer and Mexican adds layers of complexity. I’ve experienced anti-Mexican prejudice within the queer community, and anti-gay prejudice within the Mexican community. But I’ve also experienced support of diversity within the queer community, and support for being queer within the Latinx community. In general, I try to ignore haters anywhere and seek out support everywhere.
Thank you again to Alex for agreeing to do this interview! We are so thankful for your contribution to this site (:
Check out Alex’s latest book The Greatest Superpower, or any of his other books, available anywhere you purchase books!
Rainbow Stacks 