When Garcia finished their shoot with i-D, they were so excited that they got to wear eyeshadow that they posted it on
In the revival, Garcia plays a new character, Jake Rodriguez, a trans man in a relationship with his lesbian girlfriend Margot. In the show, Jake, who is still discovering and uncovering the nuances of his gender and sexual identity, goes on a journey of discovery that includes a foray on to Grindr and hook ups with gay guys.
From there, Garcia moved to New York, where they’re currently studying. Then one day, their agent set up an audition for. Garcia had never heard of the series, but “after I got the role, my agent gifted me the first novel”. However, they were hesitant to dive too far into Maupin’s world. “I didn't foresee how it would contribute to my knowledge of what they're trying to do now [with this new version],” they say.
The universality in that storyline, Garcia says, is the most thrilling thing about it. When Jake asks Margot if he can go off and experiment having sex with men, she reluctantly agrees. When he does sleep with a man, he then lies about enjoying it. “It's such a normal thing,” they continue. “We go off and do things. I'm sure hetero people do the same. [Jake and Margot] have issues that are outside of Jake's transition, which I love.
"Some family members are the worst people and they’re not respectful of you at all. And yet you still have to sit across from them and love them? I don’t agree with that.” Garcia’s family then, are people they met through their mentor. They say that as a queer person of colour, that support system is essential as they navigate the world. “With a logical family, no one is loving you because they have to,” they explain. “They can move on and uninvite you from sitting at their table. So when you are invited and you're sitting at that table knowing that you were invited and welcome because of everything that you are is a beautiful thing.
What's 'non-binary'?