Deb Ramos-Smiley, a celloist and middle school music teacher from Virginia shares their experiences as a queer, gender non-binary person of color. Within Deb’s story is a saga of how they learned to love themselves and truly be comfortable in their own skin. Deb talks about how arduous of a process this was, after being dragged out of the closet while they were in college, feeling unsure of whether their family would accept their queerness, and navigating their identity while working in a public school setting. They also open up about how continuously taking small steps, like gaining confidence through fitness, connecting with students over music, and finding community, helped them cultivate self-love. There’s a marked difference in how Deb speaks about the part of their life when they were grappling with their identity and sense of self. It’s as if these earlier years are like riding a bike uphill; the journey is hard, their muscles shaking and aching, lungs burning, heart pounding. And then, when they reached the top of the hill, they were able to look at the view before them as well as the path behind them, and realize they had gotten where they needed to be. I’ll also mention that Deb was awarded Teacher of the Year at their middle school, and I think as you listen to their interview, the reasons why will become pretty apparent.
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