🚨exposed: san diego's secret queer revolution (& how you can join) 🌈

from boricua rebel to hillcrest lover: inside edgard's lgbtq+ content empire

Me, posing with trash at the last Hillcrest Cleanup and Cocktails clean-up!

¡hola mi gente! 🇵🇷

anda pa’l cara… we've exploded faster than a glitter bomb at a drag show! 🎉 in just four short weeks, 65 fabulous new souls have joined our queer carnival.

to my ride-or-die originals who've been here since i was just a twinkle in substack's eye: y'all are the sequins on my metaphorical boa.

and to all my new queer comrades and allies - bienvenidos to our little rainbow corner of the internet!

i'm edgard (eddy works too), your friendly neighborhood non-binary pansexual boricua, here to guide you through the glittery maze of hillcrest and beyond.

get ready - you're in for one hell of a ride. "essays from the heart; and other things" is where lgbtq+ realness meets boricua sass, all wrapped up in a san diego burrito of chaos.

we're talking deep dives into politics (and beyond, honestly) that'll make your brain do the salsa, personal essays that'll have you ugly-crying into your oat milk latte, and hot takes on hillcrest happenings spicier than your abuela's sofrito.

whether you're here for the lgbtq+ activism, the puerto rican pride, or just to watch me navigate life as a non-binary disaster in america's finest city, you're in for a wild ride. so grab your emotional support cactus, refill that coffee (or tequila, no judgment), and let's make some queer magic happen!

who am i? your guide to queer chaos in america's finest city

It’s a me, espresso! At Balboa Park, 2023.

quick rundown: i'm a 37-year-old cultural mutt with a dash of existential dread and a sprinkle of hope. this blog? it's my love letter to lgbtq+ authenticity, my home island of puerto rico, san diego community, and the beautiful mess of being human. we dive deep into:

• lgbtq+ issues in san diego and beyond

• puerto rican culture, history, and its intersections with queer identity

• hillcrest shenanigans and local activism

• politics, culture, and anything that keeps this non-binary boricua up at 3am

our mission? to inspire, to inform, and to love.

oh, and to make you laugh, cry, and maybe rethink that thing you've always taken for granted.

fan favorites: your curated queer content buffet

now, let's dive into some fan favorites and hidden gems from hillcrest and beyond:

1. “how to get involved in hillcrest” 🌈my evergreen guide on where you can start to get involved in the best neighborhood in all of san diego. this one got thousands of views.

2. "on friendship: the greatest love of my life" 💖 where platonic love saves my gay ass post-breakup in san diego. 60% of readers couldn't stop crying (in a good way).

3. "on letting people be wrong" 🙄 a guide to not losing your mind over facebook conspiracy theories. 50% of hillcrest readers reported lower blood pressure.

4. "hillcrest rises: from hate to hope in 24 hours"✊ our san diego lgbtq+ community's superhero origin story. 70 readers became instant queer activists.

5. "kamala's vp pick: the football coach who said 'gay rights' in the 90s" 🏈🌈 learn about governor tim walz, kamala’s chosen running mate! 59 san diego readers are still shook.

6. "deep dives with edgard: puerto rico's economic exploitation and migration" 🇵🇷 like a telenovela, but with more economics and less evil twins. this is just one episode in an ongoing series - the next one will be coming soon! 58 readers became instant boricua experts.

7. "beyond the binary: my two-year party as a non-binary boricua" 🎉 gender feels with a side of plantains in hillcrest. hopefully, 66 readers discovered new parts of themselves.

dive in, leave comments, share your san diego queer stories. this isn't a monologue, it's a beautiful, chaotic dialogue about lgbtq+ life.

what to expect: your weekly dose of queer chaos

here's our content rhythm:

• mondays: deep dives into queer politics, culture, or my 3am thoughts

• thursdays: "one queer thing" - lgbtq+ art that's beautifully out of step

you can also expect some weeks (like right now) where i’ll be hitting your inbox every week day. sometimes, twice in one day. (i’ll try to keep that from happening too often!)

plus, random bursts of non-binary wisdom, puerto rican politics rants, and the occasional existential crisis. you know, light stuff.

tune into my queer melodies 🎵

did you know your favorite non-binary boricua is also writing their own album? well, yes! i am a singer-songwriter on the side.

check out these posts to get your ears on some original edgard tunes (and covers too):

1. "on distance (143 miles)" - a song i wrote when i was 19 about my first queer love

2. "from heartbreak to harmony: the birth of my first album🎵💔" - my plan and hopes for my first album!

3. "discovering my music" - a quick overview of all my original songs, covers, and basically, anything i have out there for people to listen to.

and don't miss my one queer thing series every thursday! i break down the latest and greatest in lgbtq+ music, from indie queer artists to mainstream allies shaking up the industry.

download the substack app & find me everywhere

want this queer chaos injected directly into your eyeballs? download the substack app, mi gente! it's like having a pocket-sized hillcrest, minus the actual glitter (but with plenty of digital sparkle).

why you need it:

• instant notifications for hot takes and heartfelt rants

• easy commenting for maximum queer discourse

• secret lgbtq+ club with a subscriber-only chat (no secret handshake required)

plus, stalk me (respectfully) on other platforms:

• tiktok: @eddyplolz (17.4k followers can't be wrong)

• instagram: @eddyplolz (for thirst traps and activism, obviously)

• threads: @eddyplolz (where i tweet through it)

let’s build familia together

remember, we're building more than a blog. we're creating a safe space for san diego's weird, wonderful, and fiercely authentic lgbtq+ community.

bring your whole queer self, your questions about non-binary life, your doubts about activism, and your dreams for a more inclusive hillcrest - bring you! your mind, your hopes, your dreams.

stay queer, stay curious, and stay chaotic, mis amores! 🌈

con mucho amor from hillcrest,

edgard💖

p.s. feeling nosy about san diego's lgbtq+ scene? join our subscriber chat. it's where the real queer tea gets spilled.

p.p.s. know a fellow queer or ally in san diego who needs more lgbtq+ joy? hit that share button! let's grow this beautiful, chaotic hillcrest family. 🚀💕