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Loading...Today’s GLBT History Month Icon: Poet Emanuel Xavier
Today’s GLBT History Month icon is Emanuel Xavier. Born May 3, 1971, Xavier is a prominent poet, author and editor and is one of the most significant spoken word artists of his generation.
From Equality Forum:
Xavier was born in Brooklyn, New York, the child of an Ecuadorian mother and a Puerto Rican father who abandoned the family before his son was born. When Xavier was three, he was sexually abused by a family member. At 16, when Xavier came out to his mother, she threw him out of the house.
A homeless gay teen on the streets of New York, Xavier soon turned to sex and drugs for money. He became a hustler at the West Side Highway piers and sold drugs in gay clubs. After landing a job at a gay bookstore, A Different Light, Xavier began to write poetry and perform as a spoken word artist.
“Pier Queen” (1997), Xavier’s self-published poetry collection, established him in the New York underground arts scene. “Christ Like” (1999), Xavier’s novel, was the first coming of age story by a gay Nuyorican (Puerto Rican living in New York) and earned him a Lambda Literary Award nomination. Fellow author Jaime Manrique said, “Once in a generation, a new voice emerges that makes us see the world in a dazzling new light. Emanuel Xavier is that kind of writer.”
“Americano” (2002), another poetry collection and Xavier’s first official published work, advanced his prominence within the literary community of color. Xavier edited “Bullets & Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry” (2005), for which he received a second Lambda Literary Award nomination.
In 2005, Xavier was the victim of a random attack by a group of young men. As a result of the beating, he lost all hearing in his right ear, but continued to write and perform.
Xavier reflects on the assault in his poem “Passage”:
Had they known I was gay they would have killed me
None of my poems about peace and unity
would have kept me whole
Also an activist, Xavier focuses his work on homeless gay youth. He has organized benefits for many organizations, including The New York Pier AIDS Education Coalition, Live Out Loud, and Sylvia’s Place, a shelter for homeless GLBTQ youth.
Xavier has appeared on HBO’s “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” and “In the Life” on PBS. In 2010, his CD “Legendary—The Spoken Word Poetry of Emanuel Xavier” was released to critical acclaim.
Below is a video of Xavier performing “Nueva York” on Def Poetry:
Bibliography:
- “Emanuel Xavier Bio.” Emanuel Xavier Official Site. 22 June 2010.
- Johnson, Ramon. “Profile of Emanuel Xavier.” About: Gay Life. 21 May 2010.
Books by Emanuel Xavier:
- Pier Queen (1997)
- Americano (2002)
- Bullets & Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry (2005)
- MARIPOSAS: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry (2008)
- Christ Like (2009)
- If Jesus Were Gay & other poems (2010)
Article about Emanuel Xavier
Recordings by Emanuel Xavier
Videos of Emanuel Xavier
Websites
Read more: civil rights, emanuel xavier, gay rights, glbt history month, glbt history month icons, lgbt rights, transgender rights
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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19 comments
+ add your ownTALENT!! Great that he has forum!
Thanx for the post.
I will look into his work. Thanks.
Thanks
Thanks! He's quite an interesting guy.
interesting selections and this is a really great series. thanks.
Again Steve, I am enjoying the series of articles on this years recipients. What a diverse group of individuals.
Thanks again for posting Steve. Looking forward to next year already.
Thanks for the article.
Great poem, thanks!!!
Good speech.
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