Photography by Belinda Mason
SPANISH
“Me gustan las mujeres y me ha pasado que la chica con la que salía el año pasado ella era hipoacusica y más bien reservada y no le gustaba mostrar públicamente su afecto pues temía el rechazo de las demás personas, cosa que terminé entendiendo pues al hacer este tipo de demostraciones como besarnos, abrazarnos o sólo tomarnos de la mano, la gente te insulta o se te queda viendo mal. Yo desde que la conocí me enamoré de ella y me gustaba regalarle flores o cartas, ser atento con ella sin embargo una vez en septiembre ella llegó muy enojada en donde estaba, saliendo de un partido de futbol y me quería golpear, de hecho lo hizo, porque decía que le contaron que me vieron con otra mujer, cosa que no era cierta, pude tranquilizarla y hacerle ver que solo eran chismes de otras personas, actualmente ya no estoy con ella. Para mí lágrimas silenciosas significa no poder demostrar lo que siento públicamente.”
ENGLISH
“I like women and I it happened to me that the girl I was dating last year was hard of hearing and rather reserved and did not like to publicly display their affection fearing rejection from other people , which I ended up understanding by doing these type of things like kissing, hugging or just holding hands , people will insult you or stare. Since I met her I fall in love with her and I liked to give her flowers or cards, be attentive towards her but one time in September she arrived where I was very mad, I was leaving a football game and she wanted to hit me, she actually did , because she was told someone saw me with another woman , which was not true , I was able to reassure her and make her see that it was only gossip, now I am no longer with her. Silent tears for me means not being able to show what I feel publicly.”
– Diana Mendoza, Mexico 2015