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Two sisters unite in the name of LGTBQ+ rights and breaking transgender stereotypes at The 55th Annual Herbert H. Lehman Memorial Lecture with “Orange is The New Black” star Marizol Leyva.

 

The two sisters visited Lehman College’s Lovinger Theater in the Bronx, to promote the book they co-authored, “My Sister: How One Sibling’s Transition Changed Us Both”. 

On March 25th, 2025, the lecture moderated by Chief of Staff to President William Murray, and the Bronxities came to speak to students at Lehman College and members of the community on their new book. They discussed the roads they traveled in their careers, and how they plan to fight to change the stereotypes of LGBTQ+ community. 

“I wanted her to tell her story,” said Selenis “I wanted to use my platform and I also knew that it would be more powerful if I as a woman, said this is my story and how it correlates with my sister, who happens to be trans,” she said.

The idea for the book started in 2015, after the infamous Caitlyn Jenner magazine cover with the official announcement of Olympic Gold medal-winning athlete Bruce Jenner and husband to Kris Kardashian , now transitioning to a woman and was official Caitlyn Jenner. 

After the article came out,  Selenis wrote an article for HuffPost that same month on her feelings on the Vanity Fair piece, and what was life like with her transgender sister. She reflects on the media frenzy that it caused for the LGTBQ+ community. Caitlyn received over $10 million for the Vanity Fair cover, and accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS that same month, where she urged for the acceptance of others who are transitioning.

“It was gross,” said Selenis. “When I first saw the cover I was like, good for her! But later on, 

It became not relatable and it was not our community. I have done a lot of work in shelters and homes in the LGTBQ+ community. That Vanity Fair article was not a reflection of transgender people. Not everyone has access to the best surgeons in the world, gets covers of magazines, and is given awards. I asked myself, What is missing?” she said.

Selenis’s manager Laurie Smith suggested an idea for a book. Next, Selenis calls her sister and discusses an idea about writing a possible book. Selenis wanted to use the book as a potential platform for her sister and other transgender. Many transgender didn’t have the luxuries that Caitlyn did, and wanted to write about the daily obstacles that transgender people faced like being targeted in hate crime, and the other negative stereotypes that come with being trans. 

A decade later, the book has won the Anti-Violence Project’s 2016 Courage Award and the Stonewall Community Foundation’s 2016 Vision Award. It is a recipient of the 2017 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize and the 2018-2019 Fulbright Grant in Creative Writing. 

The discussion dived into the themes of acceptance, love, and the challenges faced by Marizol, when she started transitioning and how it affected her relationship with her sister and her family. Selenis and Marizol were raised by the traditional Christian and Hispanic home being raised by an old-school Cuban father and Catholic Dominican mother, who are immigrants. 

“In my teenage years, 20 years ago, I started transitioning and looking for a safe way to express myself,” said Marizol. “When I was 16 going on 17 I started transitioning, I was practically homeless. I spent seven years away from my family but, kept in touch with my sister who played mediator throughout the whole journey. My chance to transition was not going to happen at home, and my father was accepting of that. At first, he was okay with me being gay and feminine but, didn’t accept the transition. Leaving home was my “Get out of jail card”, and I finally was able to become who I am. Years later, I started coming home on Christmas, where my father started to accept me as his daughter and use the correct pronoun. “she said. 

The lecture then moved on the topic on the topic of stereotypes of transgender and the continuing process of building a better image in the mainstream media. Marizol discussed the image she was raised in the late 90s going into the 2000s with the image of a man in a dress and fighting on talk shows like The Jerry Springer Show and The Muarry Povich Show. 

“It was a negative image of, Look at the freak over there!” said Marizol “That’s not what I identify with”

Marizol gave recognition to Laverne Cox and her role in “Orange is the New Black”. Cox played Sophia Burset, a transgender woman incarcerated for credit card fraud.  She made history as the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy in 2014. She won a Daytime Emmy in 2015. 

“Despite the negativity, we defiantly come a long way,” said Marizol

The lecture also touched on the heartfelt moment of acceptance between Selenis and Marizol. “For a long time, I lived in fear of losing my little brother,” said Selenis. “I remember feeling guilty about mourning that. I remember the first time I went out and met Marizol. I remember looking into her eyes and seeing the person who still existed and the person I thought I lost. The eyes are the mirrors to the soul, and I remember looking and saying, You’re still there!” she said. 

The lecture came to a close with a Q&A with Lehman College students. Selenis and Marizol gave advice on many topics, from getting help with knowing someone who is transgender to what life has been like as an actor for the last 20 years. 

“If you have someone who is in transition, we have to support them.”  said Selenis “At the core of everything we all want love, to be accepted, and to fit in,” she said 

For students who are aspiring actors, Selenis gave students the advice of trusting the process.  Selenis who started at Hotos Community College-CUNY, and has acted in Off-Broadway to numerous TV roles, advises that there is no struggle. She advised Lehman College students to trust the process and to move forward unapologetically. “You don’t have to ask permission to take up space,” said Selenis 

Marizol gave guidance to community organizations that assist youth in the LGTBQ+ community, the same assistance she used 20 years ago. “There are many organizations that support trans people and represent us in a good way Some organizations are the Stonewall Inn Foundation, The Anti-Violence Project, The Ali Forney Center, for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, and Callen-Lorde,” said Marizol 

Marizol gave a gratifying piece of advice at the end of the Q&A to the Lehman College community, when asked for a piece of advice from her journey as a transgender woman and the message she wants to send with the book is to,” Remember, You are worthy!” 

 

Photo Credit: Lehman College Multimedia