Interview with Ignacio Rivera

Ignacio Rivera identifies as a transgender queer, two-spirit person who was assigned female at birth. They are an internationally known performance artist, activist, sex educator, writer, and blogger. They grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and their family is a mix of Black, Puerto Rican, and indigenous heritage. They were teased in school for speaking some Spanish. They have an older brother and sister. They came out as a lesbian at 19 when they shifted from being a high-femme lesbian to a masculine dyke. Their first girlfriend was a militant dyke who helped Rivera express different parts of themselves and taught them a lot about politics and sexual orientation. They started hormones 2 years ago, had a hysterectomy for medical reasons, and top surgery. After they began passing more when their chest was noticeable, they experienced looks and aggressiveness from people, particularly men. They have a good relationship with their family. At 18 they got pregnant and then had a daughter. They were involved with the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project and started Poly Patao Productions, work involved in sexual liberation.

Item Actions

View At: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll97:86?facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Transgender+O...
Share
Citation: Cite

Item Information:

Identifier: cj82k743r
Collection: Oral Histories with People of Color
Institution: Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection, University of Minnesota
Creator(s): Rivera, Ignacio
Contributor(s): Jenkins, Andrea
Publisher: University of Minnesota Minneapolis Libraries
Date Created: Nov. 7, 2015
Genre: Oral Histories
Transcriptions
Subject(s): Amanda Rivera
New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti Violence Project
Poly Patao Productions
This Bridge Called My Back
Places: New York
New York > Kings County > Brooklyn
San Juan > San Juan Antiguo Barrio
Topic(s): Activists
Androgyny
Artists
Assigned gender
Bullying
Children of transgender people
Coming out
Discrimination
Education
Families
Femininities
Gender realignment surgery
Gender role
Heteronormativity
Hormones
Hysterectomy
Indigenous peoples
Lesbian culture
Lesbians
LGBTQ+ partners
Masculinities
Mental health
Misogyny
Passing (Gender)
Transgender people
Transphobia
Two-Spirit people
Writers
Resource Type: Moving image
Text
Language: English
Related URL: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/
Rights: Copyright undetermined
For more information on copyright, please read our policies