I traveled often as a child, with a parent in the military, and my love of travel has stayed with me since. The coolest places I’ve been to include Dakar, Hong Kong, and Guam.

Yet the City of Detroit is the best city in America – and maybe even the world, if you ask me. For all the extensive travel I’ve had the privilege to do, I missed out on having real roots in a place that felt like home. When I moved to Detroit, I felt those roots begin to grow. I love Detroit sincerely, and plan to move back one day.

I’m a Black Latino, and deeply proud of my heritage. I suspect that’s why Detroit felt like home: living there was the first time I was surrounded by people like myself. My racial and ethnic background are foundational to who I am. My professional aspirations are, in part, shaped by my drive to contribute to Black and Brown communities I’m a part of. And my personal values of equity, justice, and liberation for all spring largely from my identity in them.

These values are shaped too by my other identities, as a transgender man (i.e., female-to-male) who is also chronically ill/disabled. These are newer parts of my life, some that I am adjusting to alongside others in my life. While progressing on my transition and working on my health, it has been humbling – to say the least – to learn about disability justice issues, healthcare access for transgender people, and grow to be the man I am in an unpredictably supportive-or-hostile world.

But what grounds me amid these changes within and beyond myself is my faith. I’m a Roman Catholic convert. My faith challenges, heals, and inspires unlike anything else in my life. It’s a source of both frustration and consolation, and something I love discussing with others. I have volunteered in the past with the Rite (now Order?) of Christian Initiation for Adults, and hope to continue doing so in the future. If you’re a praying person, I’ll always take your prayers.

Finally, I’m a lifelong fan of Star Trek and wrestling. I love tattoos and aviation safety. I enjoy casual or rigorous study of theology, history, and progressive/leftist politics. Going bicycling, singing, and dancing are great stress relievers for me, and I’ll seldom turn down an invite to them.

Feel free to send me an email about anything on my site. You can find my information on the Contact Me Page.