Nico Fuentes (they/them; hearing) is an ASL-English interpreter and PhD student in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at OSU. With a passion for linguistic and disability justice, their research interests converge at the intersections of sign language interpreting, crip, and Black studies.
What sparked your interest in the field of WGSS?
As un undergrad I had friends in WGSS who identified as feminists and held themselves with such a self-assurance that was alluring to me. They knew things about capitalism and patriarchy and could articulate the way they encountered injustice so astutely. As my college career progressed, it became clear that to be more cognizant of the world around me and the power structures I was embedded in, that I had to take a WGSS course.
At first, I was afraid of the ways I knew my life would change—and it did, but all for the better. As a feminist, my actions can more deeply align with my values, and I now have the language to describe both suffering and work towards liberation in all that I do. Having more knowledge of the inequities around me creates a responsibility and an acknowledgement that what I do matters. What we do matters. It is a responsibility I that I strive to meet through my words, actions, and relationships with all beings.
In my third semester of WGSS courses, I felt really moved by the work of Anne Lyerly, a feminist bioethicist and philosopher who wrote about agency, dignity, and connectedness as facets of having a good birth. This essay has stuck with me through the years and is a guidepost for much of my work. This framing is a foundational consideration for how I think people should be treated in the world and especially in carceral systems like prisons, hospitals, and schools.
Now, WGSS has become the connecting thread throughout my careers as a sign language interpreter, anti-sexual violence advocate, and sex educator. The principles within WGSS guide me to act with more integrity and to never stop learning.
What are you most excited about learning through your experience with OPEEP?
I am most excited about learning of others’ experiences through OPEEP. I believe that every person has valuable insights and skills to offer the world and sometimes we can see them if we just direct our open minds and intention to looking and listening.
What books have had the most influence on your life?
So many books have influenced me deeply! I will leave a short list here: Stay and Fight by Madeline ffitch, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, Beyond the Pale by Elena Dykewomon, Touch the Future a collection of essays by John Lee Clark, and most recently, and Love in a F*cked Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together by Dean Spade
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I like to hang with friends in the country and sway on porch swings. I also have a little blind dog who loves to be in the woods as much as I do so we like to go hiking whenever possible. Lastly, I love to cook seasonal meals and share them with friends and family.