It was the mid-90’s, and in the midst of the tattered-flannel grunge muck I was just starting to acknowledge my sexuality. Flickering boldly across the television screen was the audaciously and unapologetically queer character of Rickie Vasquez on ‘My So-Called Life’. He was astonishing to me – so supremely confident, yet so heartbreakingly vulnerable – and the portrayal of such a person by the exquisitely talented Wilson Cruz suddenly made me realize that there might be a place in the world for other queer kids like myself. In the ensuing years, I came out and began to find my way in the world, forever thankful to Cruz for showing me another way, while Cruz forged his own journey in Hollywood, crafting a career in defiance of the typical entertainment rules for openly gay people of color. His trailblazing continues to this day, as evidenced by his current turn on ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, boldly going where no one has gone before as he shares an on-screen kiss with his on-screen husband. That’s courage. That’s bravery. That’s even more than a Dazzler of the Day.
