Cecilia Gentili, a trans activist and actress, and the author of ‘Faltas,’ a memoir in the form of seven letters written to people in her hometown in Argentina. (Courtesy of Oscar Diaz)
By JULIA ROCHA
Trans activist, actress, and author Cecilia Gentili knows the power of stories.
Whether she is working at her company Trans Equity Consulting, writing an op-ed for the New York Times, or portraying her character Ms. Orlando on the FX hit series Pose, Cecilia believes that sharing trans stories is a way to advocate for the change she hopes to see. She’s been sharing her story in front of live audiences, where, Cecilia says, she began a journey of self-discovery.
“I found the process of talking about an event and talking about my feelings and talking about my story throughout those times was really healing and very entertaining.”
And although Cecilia leads an extremely busy life, the pandemic offered her an opportunity to change pace and try her hand at something new: writing a memoir. In 2022, at 50 years old, Cecilia published Faltas, her first memoir, in the form of seven letters written to people in her hometown in Argentina. Writing to people like her grandmother or her father’s mistress, Cecilia uses humor and vivid storytelling to talk not only about abuse and trauma, but also joy and survival.
“I’ve been in therapy for more than 10 years,” Cecilia says. “And I believe that was the time that took me to come to terms with my history of abuse. Because this book is not just about sexual abuse, it’s about surviving sexual abuse, it’s about finding ways to thrive as a young person.”
On this episode of Latino USA, Cecilia talks about the process of writing her memoir and why she feels telling her story is a revolutionary cry to support trans youth.
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Latino USA with Maria Hinojosa, produced by Futuro Media, is the longest-running Latino-focused program on U.S. public media.
