**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.
As we continue our series speaking with young people who are biracial and identify as part of the LGBTQ community, on this episode, I speak with Jalen Little.
Jalen is a junior at Tufts University studying Human Factors Engineering. He grew up in Waterbury, Connecticut. Jalen is biracial, with two mixed-race parents and currently identifies as a black and Hispanic queer person.
Jalen tells us his painful story of growing up in an abusive home, and how he rebuilt his life after facing years of objectification, self-harm, and more.
Listen in as we talk about:
- How Jalen’s sexual identity has changed over the years
- The difference between Queer and Non-binary in Jalen’s opinion
- How coming out to friends differed from coming out to his parents
- The abuse Jalen faced from his dad partially because he was queer
- How that abuse led to self harm and a lack of self-confidence
- The correlation between race and sexuality, and the objectification of Jalen’s “blackness”
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