This fictional novella follows a group of queer Puerto Rican characters as they navigate post-Hurricane María life on the island. The characters fight to improve the island’s sociopolitical hellscape while dealing with personal problems such as addiction, toxic family, and transphobic violence. Amidst the chaos, the characters work to open a queer-friendly bar, Loverbar, a safe space for all.
This monograph discusses how, in 2019, the Puerto Rican LGBTQIA+ community engaged in peaceful direct actions such as marches, strikes, and drag performance to protest the Puerto Rican administration. By addressing the intersection of the Puerto Rican queer community and political activism, my work demonstrates how this community is following in the footsteps of revolutionary groups such as the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries by weaponizing performance for the purpose of political upheaval. This monograph delves into topics such as Puerto Rico/U.S. relations, disaster capitalism, subcultural style, and queer and performance theory with the goal of bringing attention to the queer Puerto Rican experience and arguing for the rights of queers of color as well as progressive change in Puerto Rico where the detrimental effects of colonialism are still heavily felt.