Digital Transgender Archive

Cecilia Gentili Oral History

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Cecilia Gentili is the Director of Policy at Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). In this wide-ranging interview, she reflects on the relationships and experiences that inform her story of struggle, resilience, and joy. Cecilia recounts her childhood and adolescence in Gálvez, Argentina, describing complex family dynamics and early experiences with gender nonconformity and transphobia. She also shares her memories of the military dictatorship, and the effects of this legacy of violence, trauma and fear on her own family and Argentine society. She chronicles later life in the city of Rosario, where she discovered a trans community as a student, sex worker and performer. Cecilia’s journey also includes years in Miami and New York City facing addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and life under threat of deportation as an undocumented immigrant. Finally, she considers her professional success today as an organizer and advocate for the trans community and beyond.

Item Information:

Identifier
4b29b6210
Collection
Oral Histories with People of Color
Institution
NYC Trans Oral History Project
Creator(s)
O'Brien, Michelle Esther
Gentili, Cecilia
Contributor(s)
James, Leah
Ambrose, Justine
Publisher
New York Public Library
Date Created
Jul. 14, 2017
Dates Covered
1972 to 2017
Genre
Oral Histories
Subject(s)
Cecilia Gentili
Gay Men's Health Crisis
Places
New York
New York > Queens > Francis R Buono Memorial Bridge
Argentina
Topic(s)
Addictions
Childhood
Clothing
Dictatorships
Families
Gender diversity
Gender identity
Health care
HIV/AIDS
Immigration
Immigration policy
Imprisonment
Labour
LGBTQ+ relationships
LGBTQ+ sex workers
MtFs
Organisations
Passing (Gender)
Substance use in LGBTQ+ communities
Transgender community
Transgender people
Transphobia
Violence
Resource Type
Audio
Digital Format
duration: 2 hours 39 minutes 36 seconds
Language
English
Rights
Copyright undetermined
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