Frank’s 'Revolutionary' Queer Quince at 30

Latino USA

Futuro Media and PRX

Society & Culture

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 June 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As a young boy, Frank Rojas watched his older sister shine at her quinceañera. He secretly longed for a celebration of his own, but knew that these coming of age parties were only for girls.

Now, two decades later, the culture has changed and more boys are having their own quiceañeros. So Frank is throwing himself a double quince on his 30th birthday. On his own terms, but not without hesitation.

Come to Frank’s party to celebrate his big day. A day when he will be unapologetically queer, when he’ll blend his queer family with his blood family, and when he’ll get his own sparkle.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	When I founded Futuro, I imagined a home for journalism with radical transparency.
0:06.5	I wanted a newsroom where I wasn't the only Latina behind the mic.
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0:38.6	And not you buy yes.
0:44.0	Futuro.
0:51.7	Warning to our listeners.
0:53.6	This episode includes some explicit language, so be prepared.
0:58.6	Frank Rojas was 11 years old when his older sister, Laura, had her kinsaniera.
1:07.5	She was a little bougie.
1:09.0	We did the whole church.
1:10.1	She had like the big hall, Quinceanera.
1:12.7	He vividly remembers watching his sister in her beautiful green dress, the hair, the makeup.
1:20.0	Wow, this is exciting.
1:21.6	Everyone showering her with love during this rite of passage, celebrated by a lot of Latinas,
1:29.4	mostly Mexican and Mexican-American,
1:31.4	when they turn 15.
1:38.1	As a young boy, I just knew that it was for girls, and it was kind of like this literal transition into womanhood.
1:40.6	I remember of being part of like the planning process with her, going to downtown LA to the cajones to like look at dresses.
1:47.9	And we're going like to a hair salon in Gardena so that she could try out her hair.
	...

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