Edgar Gomez

Instructor & Writer
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Edgar Gomez (he/she/they) is a Florida-born writer with roots in Nicaragua and Puerto Rico. A graduate of University of California, Riverside’s MFA program, he is a recipient of the 2019 Marcia McQuern Award for nonfiction. His words have appeared in Poets & Writers, Narratively, Catapult, Lithub, The Rumpus, Electric Lit, Plus Magazine, and elsewhere online and in print. His memoir, High-Risk Homosexual, was named a Best LGBTQ Book by Harper’s Bazaar. He lives in New York and Puerto Rico. Find him on Twitter @OtroEdgarGomez. 

Classes

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Stories

Cover Photo: A photograph of a calm and secluded beach in Puerto Rico, namely Playa Escondida
How to Say I Love You in Spanish

You can’t go bigger than “te amo.” No one says “te amo mucho,” because love is already very much.

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Edgar Gomez
Feb 14, 2022
Arts & Culture | Language
Cover Photo: A screenshot of the author on Zoom, smiling; he is wearing a colorful patterned vest and silver necklaces
I May Not Look Like a “Respectable” Teacher, But I’m a Good One

As part of our Education Week series, Edgar Gomez reflects on how presenting himself authentically as a teacher cultivates a more open and honest learning environment.

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Edgar Gomez
Jan 26, 2022
Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life
Cover Photo: Five kids sit at their desks, looking at their teacher, who stands before a whiteboard.
Becoming The Gay Teacher I Wish I'd Had

What I could offer wasn’t life changing—it was just a break, a little time to gather the strength to keep going.

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Edgar Gomez
May 19, 2021
Columns | Werk.
Cover Photo: Two mannequins well dressed in men's suits, with more department store suits visible in the background.
“Passing” as Straight at Work Didn’t Protect Me from Homophobia

I privately couldn’t get over the fact that she’d even felt comfortable speaking to me that way.

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Edgar Gomez
Apr 07, 2021
Columns | Werk.
Cover Photo: Close-up photo of someone's black denim jacket. The jacket is covered with colorful pastel and gold patches and buttons. Some read "they/them," "tough as fuck," and "Jews Against Fascism."
My Call Center Job’s No-Uniform Policy Was a Dream, But for Who?

Though the person in the skirt and I weren’t the same, when I saw them, I felt something I never had before at work: like I could be totally, completely myself.

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Edgar Gomez
Feb 09, 2021
Columns | Werk.
Cover Photo: A reporter wearing red lipstick, turned away from the photographer's camera, looking into what might be a news camera. She's holding a microphone with the Telemundo and NBC logos on each side.
What I Learned about Queerness and Latinidad While Working at Telemundo

We were two stereotypes—the sassy gay best friend, and the hyper-sexualized reporter—working at a place that highlighted our biggest insecurities.

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Edgar Gomez
Jan 06, 2021
Columns | Werk.