Page 22 - Adelante Magazine March 2025

Feature

mother and I thought I could just play off that. with the things I did. I’m more excited to just Adelante: Are you back in touch with you
But, because of my own past trauma my mind figure that out and how to help. mother and family?
blocked my ability to feel those things. It wasn’t Michael: Yes. After 10 years of not speaking
until I took myself out of the scene and thought I know the next EP I’m dropping is going to be we’ve gotten closer over the last year. I’m
about how it must have felt for the character more Latin. Perhaps release more singles and speaking to one of my sisters also. My father
calling his mom in this situation, that it clicked. ballads. This year I’m feeling very happy and has been great. He has shown up for me. My
when I listen to Latin music, I feel so happy. So parent’s perspectives on things have changed
In the second season, I was filming the scene I’ll do more Latin pop. as they’ve gotten older.
in the bathtub crying about Jude leaving me.
Because of where I was at with my therapy and Adelante: What’s your favorite Selena I believe Muchy’s death softened my mom’s
sobriety, I allowed myself to feel it all. What was song? heart. She knew how close we were and I think
hard about that was it stuck with me even after Michael: “No Me Queda Más”. Maybe it’s the something happened once he passed, maybe
that part and I realized I have been through a melody I love along with her voice. I relate to something maternal. I know she loves me, I’m
lot in my own life. Sometimes I don’t allow my- the pain. Selena’s brother wrote that song for her child, my siblings love me, but there is still
self to feel, and that can put me in a low mental someone he was in love with that he could not something engrained in their DNA that my life-
state. be with. The instruments are awesome starting style is wrong. I’m grateful that I’m not budging
from my boundaries.
Adelante: Not many films are written
from the perspective of gay, bi men of Adelante: Has your mother heard your
color. track?
Michael: It’s a gay show, but they are Michael: It’s hard for her because she does
touching on a lot of topics which we don’t not want to support my going in this direc-
usually talk about. Like there is a charac- tion. It’s hard for my siblings to get excited
ter, Alex, who works as one of the dancers about it also. They like one of the dance
who is actually married and has a child. He music videos I did because I ended up danc-
works in the go go scene, because he says ing with a woman and perhaps they thought
it’s the one talent he has. It would be easy I was straight again.
to be judgmental about this, but there are
a lot of Alexes in the world and in our com- Adelante: What do you say to people
munity. He is a human being that is also dealing with depression, drug use or
struggling with his sexuality, with the pain feeling alone?
and trauma and cultural trauma, like ma- Michael: They are not alone. You can be
chismo that he and people had to break out loved for exactly who you are. Uncon-
of. Even though very superficial, GO GO ditionally. That was something I could not
mirrors real society for some gay-bi men of find in the bars, that is what I was looking for
color. when I got kicked out of the house. I’m for-
tunate that I found a group of friends where
Michael: There is nothing wrong with por- the relationship is not based on alcohol or
traying sex in television and film; the drugs, but rather that we are trying to better
straight community has been doing this our lives.
way before GO GO. I love to feel sexy.
That’s who I am and there is nothing wrong Adelante: Anything final you’d like to
with that. There is a lot of eye candy in the say to our readers and the community?
show and there are different perspectives Michael: They are not alone. If you’re
on what this all means. There are people breathing, you’re worthy of love. There is a
who do this for the money and others for the out with the Mariachi band. I love Mariachi. community out there. You don’t have to be
validation. Then you have Franky who is re- alone. There are really great people out there.
senting it all because that is not what he wants I remember that my mother would play Alejan- If you’re struggling and if you’re still breathing,
to do, he wants to be a singer and not nec- dro Fernández and I’d sing the songs. My dad there is hope.
essarily sexualized. Then there are other char- remembers when they took me to a restaurant
acters who own that and it’s a beautiful thing called Tequila Sunrise in Queens, NY when I We look forward to seeing great things from
and depends on your perspective. In the real was a child. My dad loves telling this story and this talented writer, singer and actor. It is an in-
world, you see people dancing in different clubs he says at the restaurant there was this maria- spiration to see the eager and humble aspira-
and such, some like it because they feel it and chi band playing Alejandro’s song Como Quien tions of a young gay Latino man who has come
enjoy it and others like seeing the public enjoy Pierde una Estrella and I went up to the guy through a difficult path to be on the road to big
them doing it. Still others do it for the paycheck. who was singing and tugged on his hand and things. Please download and watch Go Go on
There are those that pass judgment and they got the mic and started singing the song. I do Here TV and download Michael Miguel’s EP
are entitled to their opinions, but its not good or like a lot of Mexican music. Gemini Season Part One: Michael on all
bad. streaming platforms. You can also follow Mi-
I’ll tell you why I love Selena. The lyrics to her chael on his IG at: akamichaelmiguel.
I’m always pleasantly surprised when straight songs are sad even though the music is dance
people come up to me and say they’ve and fun. Selena’s biggest inspiration was I would like to thank my chosen family. Also, my
watched GO GO. Straight guys say they like Donna Summer and if you listen to Donna parents who have come a long way. My pro-
it. That just shows how far we have come as a Summer’s songs, many are also very sad. Like ducers, Ant and Jay, for helping create these
society. On the Radio starts with a slow piano ballad tracks. Pamela Velez and Stevie Mackey for
Adelante: Where do you see yourself short and then it goes into a heavy dance track. I helping me in rearranging and producing Boys
and long term with respect to your career. love that. I think that’s a very Latin thing. A lot and Barbies. My sister, Dyana Rios, and my
Michael: I see my self being more in tune with of Latin music speaks to a lot of heavy stuff and nephew, TJ Baker, for not only loving me, but
my feeling and music and doing more songs deep feelings. I believe as Latinos we love to helping push my butt back into the studio. Also,
like Boys and Barbies. I think my mind is more dance in the pain. My song Dancing in the my manager, Elayne, for being understanding
set on the long term, where I want to make a Pain and my Latin music is also very much like of my recovery, honoring my sobriety, and be-
difference. I want to get more involved in the this. lieving in me. Of course, I also want to thank
community and help those who are struggling my fans.

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