January 26, 2025 • 29 mins
Amado Munoz shares his journey as a trans Chicano indigenous individual, blending artistry, culture, and activism through his platform, Ethical Punk. The episode explores the importance of community, identity reclamation, and the power of adornment in creating visibility for marginalized voices.
• Discussion on how personal background shapes identity
• Amado’s experience growing up in South Central Los Angeles
• Ethical Punk as a fusion of culture and activism
• The role of adornment and jewelry in expressing identity
• Importance of community support for young trans individuals
• Advice on safety, connection, and resilience in tough times
https://www.instagram.com/ethicalpunk_/
https://ethicalpunk.com/
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-16/queer-mercado-east-los-angeles-latino-lgbtq-community
https://queermercado.buzzsprout.com/1937768/episodes/10394532-adorning-the-spirit
Welcome to the RADIO QGLLU podcast, the show that TAKES A DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT THE QUEER, GAY, AND LESBIAN LATINE COMMUNITY IS TALKING ABOUT.
https://www.glluarchive.com/multimedia/radio-qgllu-podcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Rita Gonzales (00:04):
Welcome to the Out Agenda.
Coming to you on archivekpfkorg, I'm Rita Gonzalez.
Well, in this month's segmentof Radio Q Glue, Amado Munoz of
Ethical Punk.
But before we introduce ourguests, we want to start this
(00:30):
show by saying that all of us atRadio Q Glue are devastated and
concerned about the recentfires in Los Angeles.
Each of us loves this city andare deeply affected by the
destruction and lives impactedby these fires.
Our thoughts are with thosefacing loss, danger and
uncertainty.
We stand in solidarity, aswe've been since Radio Q Glue
(00:55):
was Radio Glue when it startedin 1986.
With our resilient communitieswho have a long history of
coming together to support oneanother during difficult times.
Well, we have another segmentof Radio Q Glue podcast, a show
that takes a deep dive into whatthe queer, gay and lesbian
(01:17):
Latina community is talkingabout.
I'm Rita Gonzalez, I'm LydiaOtero and I'm Eduardo Archuleta.
Eduardo Archuleta (01:25):
In today's episode, we're talking with
Amado Munoz.
Amado is a trans Chicanoindigenous individual from South
Central Los Angeles with rootsplanted in the Fashion District
by his family who migrated fromMexico.
One of his life goals is tocreate visual impact and spark
(01:47):
conversation by challenging thegender binary and toxic culture
of masculinity, all whilecelebrating and adorning his
spirit as a creator and curatorof ethical punk.
Amado brings attention whereverhe goes, never shying away from
(02:07):
a stare down and walkingthrough the world with purpose.
He has resolved that his verypresence is his biggest weapon
in fighting against theinjustices in the world that
often disregard his identity.
Lydia Otero (02:23):
Hi Amado.
This is Lydia, and one of thethings that popped up in your
biography was about being fromSouth Central, los Angeles.
Amado Muñoz (02:33):
Yes, so share a little bit with our listeners
and tell us why your personalbackground and why being from
South Central is so important toyou, yes, you know, I think
first of all I'm just going tosay it and start it with the
word culture, right, tradition,and you know those things that
(02:55):
were rooted in my family whenthey migrated from Mexico to
South Central right and theyplanted their roots in the
fashion district.
And my grandfather is becausehe's still alive, you know
retired stitcher and so he didlike Nike stitching for the
(03:16):
tennis shoes, and my grandmotherwas a seamstress.
So they came here, plantedtheir roots.
11 children Fast forward, I'mthe oldest of 11.
So that is a big household rightto grow up in, and so what we
learned was a lot of thetraditional values that were
(03:39):
from Mexico, but obviouslynavigating our own world, in
this new world, from ourperspective.
So I think, a lot of thingsduring that time that I grew up
and my grandfather and mygrandparents arriving here, I
learned how to navigate thisplace that I found so beautiful,
in different neighborhoods, indifferent neighborhoods, in the
(04:04):
style, in the individuality, andI think, as a young trans kid,
that really spoke to me right,because I still felt I didn't
feel seen, but it wasn't at thatpoint about my transhood, it
was really about my culture.
So I think that that kind oflaid roots to me, figuring out
(04:26):
how to navigate my transhood, myneighborhood.
So I think that that's whySouth Central means so much to
me, because I was able to kindof figure out how I can survive
before I really needed tosurvive.
Lydia Otero (04:42):
And for our listeners that aren't from Los
Angeles what is South Central inrelation to Los Angeles, Like
how far is it far?
I'm sure sometimes it seems far, but or is it close?
Amado Muñoz (04:58):
Well, we know, california is so big, right,
like I know, when I talk tofolks in the Midwest, it's like
everything's like hours, 30minutes away and we can go from
one tip to the other tip andit's like, you know, we're
navigating for 14 hours or so ormore.
But LA, so South Central, I'mgoing to say, it's, you know, a
mile, two miles away from thecenter of downtown LA.
(05:21):
So I grew up near USC, near theold Coliseum, you know, near
Exposition Park, right NearOlvera Street.
So you know what I mean.
So everything is miles awayfrom where I grew up.
You know we were barelybuilding, creating or coming
from those.
(05:42):
La Placita, olvera is so known,right, about starting settling
there, right.
So all of that, as you know,coming as a growing up, as a
child.
So I'm seeing it through twoperspectives the ones that are
migrating and the ones that areflourishing it, right, the ones
(06:04):
that are coming over andplanting the seeds, and the ones
that we are, the ones that arewatering it right.
So those two kind of, you know,interpretations that I saw
about my city, I'm like, oh, myGod, I'm like in this and it's
happening.
So I don't know, for me, losAngeles has so much story.
We are that place that when youcome so I don't know, for me
(06:26):
Los Angeles has so much story weare that place that when you
come, you do have someone thatcan tell you about that corner,
that can tell you about thatlittle town, that little city,
that little restaurant.
And I feel that for mygrandparents and for us it was a
beautiful fusion.
It was a beautiful moment thatwe could definitely share stuff
because I'm learning from them.
So again, it wasn't about mytranshood, it was about my
(06:50):
neighborhood, it was about LosAngeles.
Rita Gonzales (06:54):
Oh, spoken like a true Angeleno.
I love it, I love it, I feel itin my heart.
Amado Muñoz (06:59):
It's part of who I am, it's part of my soul.
So thank you for acknowledgingthat.
Rita Gonzales (07:06):
Oh yeah, I'm a true Angeleno too.
Amado Muñoz (07:10):
All right.
Rita Gonzales (07:10):
Yeah, so I have a question.
This is Rita.
Talk about your curator ofethical punk, ethical punk.
Amado Muñoz (07:21):
What is that?
Oh, it's my baby.
Ethical Punk.
Ethical Punk, that's my baby.
What is that?
Oh, it's my baby.
Ethical Punk has.
So it emerged right.
It kind of transitioned as wellas I did.
So Ethical Punk was my name asan artist when I would get on
(07:42):
stage, ethical Punk to the stage.
I used to perform throughoutthe US and you know musicals
that would never go anywhere,but you know, I performed, you
know, when I was 26 and youngand vibrant, and so that was my
stage name Ethical Punk and itkind of resonated with me.
(08:03):
It was something that wascreated by me always feeling
like the outsider right, butmeeting people, lovers
specifically who would alwayssay, but you're a good one, like
you're a good punk, and thenyou know that one love that
(08:24):
comes to you and it's like youknow you're ethical, you know,
and I'm just like ethical punk.
So, again in my 20s, that wasthe name that I kind of ran with
.
Then it evolved to my creativepassion because I always felt
that my visual impact in peoplewas kind of startling right,
(08:46):
that my visual impact in peoplewas kind of startling right when
I was growing up, kind ofmasculine in what people would
think it's a little girl but I'mmasculine, presenting right.
So it's like what do you dowith this human right?
So I always felt kind of theoutsider, so that's why that
name really resonated.
So as I transitioned in my life,I transitioned in what I wanted
ethical to punk.
I still wanted to stimulatepeople and to call your
(09:08):
attention, but I also wanted tobring my culture who am I?
My Los Angeles culture, right.
My Chicano culture, my culturefrom grandparents who migrated.
You know, I'm a firstgeneration, I'm the oldest
grandchild from 11 brothers andsisters, right, so it's a lot of
(09:29):
power.
So when I started feeling like Iwanted to claim a little bit
more and ethical punk as anartist wasn't working for me,
this is when I started noticinga lot of the TikTok trends about
brown lipstick, like whitegirls wearing brown lipsticks or
white girls wearing hoops, orVersace selling huaraches.
(09:51):
Ooh-wee, my blood was boilingand you know, through that
passion and that I createdEthical Punk and what that was
is style, is jewelry, is ourhoops, it's those nameplates
that we crave so much, as kidsRemember when of jewelry, right,
(10:13):
and what happens with this onepiece of jewelry if we're lucky
enough, we're able to give it tosomeone, right.
And so that made it more of astory for me.
Like I sell chingona hoops, Isell cabrona.
(10:35):
But these words, what I'mtrying to do is claim them.
As a first generation person,those words had a lot of power
and it weren't the best, but nowI want to reclaim them.
So I wanted to switch thismentality of selling my culture
for profit and really selling myculture to the people that
would value it, understand it,adorn their spirit with that.
(11:00):
We would go out of our housewith tracksuits, with t-shirts,
with shorts, with chanclas, butwe had our little earrings, our
little necklace, our rings, youknow, and that to me, it's like
it's beautiful.
It's beautiful, it's being ableto step out in any way you want
(11:20):
, but having some type of armor,some type of armor which was,
oh, your ring is nice, oh, thankyou, that's like you know.
And then you talk about it,right, some type of you know,
where you can feel safe, walkingout because there'll be a
conversation stirred.
And even now, as people arewearing my pieces, you don't see
a they them pronoun.
You know.
(11:40):
They them in our culture.
They them, what's that?
Que es eso?
They them, oh, that's how Iprefer you to.
You know, address me, you openconversation.
So with Ethical Punk, what I'mtrying to do is that thing that
ethical we are of good people,we come of good people.
(12:02):
That is what I was taught.
We come of good people.
That is what I was taught.
So now I want to share thosestories through Ethical Punk, by
adorning your spirit andshining.
And it's not about masculinityand it's not about femininity,
it's about how does your spiritfeel right now and I would hope
it's the essence of yourneighborhood, of your traditions
(12:24):
, of your culture, and with meit also happens to be with
queerness.
That was all a mix of who I wasgrowing up and that's what
ethical punk really is.
You know a statement.
Eduardo Archuleta (12:37):
This is Eduardo.
In addition to designing andmaking jewelry, you're also an
advocate for trans and queerrights.
Yes, tell us a little bit moreabout that.
Amado Muñoz (12:48):
Absolutely.
Just for the record, I'm anemotional person so it might be
a little pausing, so that is anemotion creeping out.
But my story is of an immigrantmother who fell in love with my
father.
My father was immigrant.
They fell in love here in LosAngeles and my mom was the first
(13:14):
of 11 kids and she startedtaking her brothers and sisters
to the Head Start program.
I was married to my dad whenshe was 16, had my sister and I,
so I grew up with my.
It's a typical kind of growingup with your primas, I mean your
aunts, who are your age.
So we're all going to HeadStart and my mom is the only one
(13:38):
that can speak English andSpanish.
Choppy, growing up in SouthCentral, this was very much a
black you know neighborhood andmy mom and our whole family was
embraced, and so they were like,hey, you know you speak Spanish
to my mom and she's like, yeah,so she would help them
translate.
So then I started learning thatthere's workshops and support
(14:02):
groups, right, and my mom's justbeing part of that as a young
mom.
And then they tell her hey, ifyou take this class at USC, you
can get your certificate.
We need someone that'sbilingual.
Fast forward, my mom retiredafter 37 years of being a Head
Start preschool teacher becauseof love of the neighborhood.
So that's just another exampleof why my love is so deep.
(14:25):
We were taken care of.
They helped my mom feed us,take care of us, because she
became a single mom.
So then I'm learning aboutadvocacy and I'm learning about
stuff through my mom, justseeing her.
My mom becomes a social worker.
Then I'm navigating, somethingin me that's happening and I
don't know what it is and Ithink that it's.
(14:45):
You know, I'm queer and I thinkthat I'm gay, but I don't like
the word lesbian, and so I'mgoing through this and so I'm
learning through my mom and I'mlike you know what I've been
hearing stuff, let me do this.
So I open the yellow pages andI find organizations because I'm
hearing her say you know, youneed a support group, you need
(15:06):
resources, and I'm hearing allthese words.
So then I'm like I'm a child orsomething's happening to me
that needs resources and Icouldn't tell anyone.
So I started navigating,finding gay centers,
organizations.
Then I found gay and lesbianand at that time it was the
Yellow Pages and you saw theword Gay and Lesbian.
(15:26):
So at 19, I started attendingBienestar Human Services and it
wasn't enough for me.
I wanted to do more, so in thatI became a volunteer and in
that I started working forBienestar, a staff of human
services, and that's where mynonprofit of of and passion
(15:47):
being an activist and educatingwas fueled.
But but I feel it was fueled bymy mother and my grandmother.
But then I found somethingright that really meant a lot,
that resonated, which was queeryouth, which was I haven't told
my mom, but I seem to be okay.
I look like this person, youknow to be okay.
I look like this person, youknow.
And when I say look like thisperson to me, back then big
(16:10):
masculine presenting littlegirls weren't cool, right, we
were just like so, you know.
So that's why it's likeinteresting, because it's it's
really a cultural thing.
Then it transitions into youridentity, right, like how do you
become you as you're learningand navigating all these things
that are coming from you, fromyour culture, which is, you know
(16:32):
, weight loss, you know allthose things that we, you know,
looking whiter, you know, oh,you're not that dark, you're not
that white, you're a flat nose.
You know those things.
Man, you're growing up in aLatino culture in a
Mexican-American culture.
I'm going to learn tough skinright.
(16:52):
So I think you know theindividual love and attacks for
my family and the desire to justkind of flourish a little bit
more, because I've alreadylearned all this.
You know, you're making me standreally strong in my
neighborhood and then I'mlearning about activism and I'm
learning about and I'm learningabout Rita Gonzalez and I'm and
(17:14):
I'm learning about Lydia Otero.
You know and I'm living and I'mlearning about.
You know even the Chicanomovement.
You know and I'm learning aboutall these things and I'm like,
no, that like there's no storiesor rent documentation of us.
So it keeps on sparking me as aperson to be in front and not
(17:35):
to be silent.
I am a trans man.
I have an experience as a man,but my experience in my life is
as a trans individual, animmigrant from immigrant
families, first generations,right.
So I think that all of thatjust fueled the fact that I
needed to be in the front lines.
(17:56):
You know that I needed to speakmy story, that anything that
came from me whether it bebusiness, whether it be
performance, whether it beengaging with folks it needed to
be allowing for change,conversations of change that was
super important to me.
Lydia Otero (18:14):
I'm a little misty-eyed here because you feel
like our child, because RitaEduardo and I were there, there
when we were launching Bienestar, and so you know you bringing
it up is just very, verytouching to see like future
generation I mean younger-generations To see your fruit
(18:36):
and your labors.
Amado Muñoz (18:37):
and what an honor.
Lydia Otero (18:39):
Yeah, gracias, gracias.
I appreciate that.
So you've made a nameplate forme, right?
I feel like when I wear it.
I feel, like I'm making astatement.
I never thought of it as armor,but I'm going to think about it
(18:59):
.
We calibrate what my thinkingnext time I wear it.
But it's really I am making astatement when I wear it.
So my question to you is andyou touched a little bit upon it
Is there a brown, the mergingof a brown and queer aesthetic?
Do you see it?
Amado Muñoz (19:19):
Do I see it in my creations?
Yes, a queer and brownaesthetic, absolutely.
I mean, I feel that first ofall in my brand, yes, but I feel
that that aesthetic was again,I'm a procreation of y'all,
(19:40):
right.
So the brown, queer aestheticshas been of those that I've seen
, march, and what are theywearing, what are they showing?
How did they protect themselvesin?
You know, as brown individuals,it's different as we navigate,
like I said I'm bringing, I'mtelling you that I'm a trans
(20:00):
individual who first had tonavigate my brownness to stand
up for my queerness.
I was there first, before thequeerness even happened, yeah,
right.
So then, in developing mybusiness, absolutely, it was a
fusion Because, again, I was notgoing to allow Versace, kylie
(20:23):
Jenner, all of those folksclaiming that this is a new
trend, to stand on that.
This was a brown trend and sothis in the queerness, for me
it's like man, those traditionswith the nameplates, those
traditions with putting thosepieces of statement, nameplates,
(20:45):
those traditions would puttingthose pieces of statement, like
I think it's especially as atrans man.
I've never saw my name in anameplate because I didn't have
that right, because that wasn'tmy chosen name.
So now that I can create amodel.
You know I'm saying like what,what, how queer and how brown
could this be?
Because it comes from my brownculture and I am a queer trans
(21:08):
man that was never able to beloud and proud about a name that
I chose or that a name that I.
My full name is Amado PresleyMunoz Presley, and I do not mind
sharing my old name because Ithink in education it doesn't
stir any emotions.
Actually, because if it wasn'tfor Priscilla a beautiful name
(21:32):
with a beautiful soul, with abeautiful individual, I would
not be here.
She protected this, him, myessence, protected this Him, my
essence and it leads me tofemininity Is what protects our
(21:53):
culture Las mamas, las tias, thegay uncles, the feminine energy
that embraces us, that stillallows us to cry, be cry, to be
hugged and to also stand up foryour children, your familia.
My grandma was straight up inthe hood standing in front of
(22:14):
the cops, as the cops are tryingto wrangle my uncles and hurt
them.
You know, before we knew theywere getting hit on public
because we saw it on TV, thiswas happening already.
How can I not have my brownnessstand up first before my
queerness, right?
Because queerness we'redeveloping, we're figuring it
out, we'll probably suppress it.
My brownness was so loud, youknow, I needed to learn how to
(22:39):
protect myself and then, when Ifigured my company, I'm just
like those are the two thingsthat I want to cater to my queer
community.
You know I had a Haas.
You're familiar with a Haasright, the convention for
educators.
I was able to do a pop-up thereto see doctors of education
(23:00):
wanting to use my queer hoops.
It's a hexagon type of earringand in the center it says queer.
It's a level of class, you know,also regal.
It's very simple.
But to see the professors andthen one coming from Virginia
saying I need my students to seeme because she's a counselor
(23:21):
Right, because we're trying tofigure out how do we navigate
telling these kids without youknow what I mean, but we can do
it by presenting who we reallyare authentically in our jewelry
and our wear, really triggersthose conversations, challenging
conversations for communitybrowns and queer, those things
(23:42):
that we don't want to call,because queerness is not easy to
be talked out in browncommunities.
It has to be a fusion.
For me it has to be.
I have to collide them.
Rita Gonzales (23:52):
So how do we get your jewelry?
I mean yes.
Amado Muñoz (23:57):
I have my website, wwwethicalpunkcom.
You can read a little bit moreof my story and who I am.
It's all LA, you know.
It really represents my city.
It really talks about myqueerness.
All my models are queer ortrans, non-binary.
You know, I highlight that I'mabout undocumented folks and it
(24:22):
says that I'm about Black LivesMatter and I'm about that.
I'm about undocumented folksand it says that I'm about Black
Lives Matter and I'm about that.
So you know there's a lot ofeducation when you go into my
site.
So I would ask folks, beforethey look at the jewelry, to
really look at who I am right,because I really pride myself in
being vulnerable.
And also you can look me up onethicalpunk underscore, which is
(24:46):
my IG account, and right nowI'm also on TikTok.
I just started my TikTok, whichis ethical underscore punk.
So I'm trying.
You know I just turned 50.
So navigating social media it'snot my strong suit, but I'm
trying.
I'm trying to figure it out.
But those are the threeplatforms right now that you can
(25:09):
find me at.
Rita Gonzales (25:11):
Well, you've answered a lot of our questions
and I just went on your website.
It's really really awesome.
Amado Muñoz (25:16):
Oh, awesome, thank you.
Look at doing work andinterviewing.
Rita Gonzales (25:19):
Yeah, I just went right on it.
It's something that I may want.
You never know.
Oh, awesome.
So we're in a different eraright now.
This is 2025 and it seems likethis is going forward.
A lot's going to be happeningto all of us.
It's going to impact every oneof us, but what advice do you
have if you have any for youngtrans folks right now?
Amado Muñoz (25:42):
What I'm finding helpful for me as a very out
trans person that knows that Ican be hurt you know, in any
given moment, any visible queerperson, gay person, lesbian,
non-binary person to giveyourself the space to feel, but
(26:04):
also community.
We've thrived this hard becausewe've had communities.
All three of you that I havethe honor to be in front of
started this by coming together,by fighting together, by
navigating your life knowingthat you weren't alone, and so
(26:27):
what I feel that the time is isto really count on each other,
right, and I feel sometimes weas humble people brown people,
latino people, people of colorwe're very humble, and so it's
hard for us to be like, hey, youknow, how are you doing, or I
don't want to impose, or youknow, be here and be like no
(26:50):
one's called me.
But what should we do?
We should be proactive as well.
Pick up the phone, because weknow that we have people in our
community that have shown uslove.
We just are.
We don't know how to receivesometimes, and maybe I'm
speaking for myself, but all I'masking right now for people to
(27:10):
be safe is to really count oneach other, right, really
counting it.
Really check in on each otherhave plans of you know safety?
I never look.
I'm a brown boy from SouthCentral, trans first generation.
People talking to me aboutsafety plans was like what you
(27:31):
talking about safety plans?
But to be honest with you, whenI don't hear from a friend in a
week or something, I startgetting worried and I think just
knowing that someone is okay,that they need their time, that
you know those things we need tohonor.
So just knowing to honoryourself as well as to honor
others with emotions andfeelings, have community and
(27:56):
really protect yourself.
And what does that mean?
Really have conversations andsit with.
How do we protect each other?
And visit and visit and visitvenues and support your
community and celebrate withthem whenever they're going to
have it.
Do not be alone.
Find your people, find yourpeople.
(28:16):
Find your people Because itreally feels good.
That would be the only advice Ican give right now in a state
where we're all suffering forvarious reasons.
We're all looking on.
You know how to survive thesenext four years.
Lydia Otero (28:35):
That's beautiful advice, Amado.
Rita Gonzales (28:37):
Thank you Very touching I do want to thank you
very much for joining us here.
Lydia Otero (28:42):
For sure, for sure yeah.
It was very, very, very, verytouching and emotional.
Rita Gonzales (28:50):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Lydia Otero (28:52):
Nos vemos, amado, nos vemos.
Thank you so much.
Thank you much for joining us.
Nos vemos, amado, nos vemos.
Thank you so much, love you too.
Rita Gonzales (28:57):
We'd like to thank our guest, amado Munoz
from Ethical Punk.
Thanks for listening to Radio QGlue.
I'm Rita Gonzalez, I'm LidiaOtero and I'm Eduardo.
Eduardo Archuleta (29:08):
Archuleta.
Rita Gonzales (29:09):
Like us on our Facebook page or email us at
theoutagenda at gmailcom andhave a wonderful week, and
remember that being out is thefirst step to being equal.
Now stay tuned for this Way Out.
Welcome to the Out Agenda.
Coming to you on archivekpfkorg, I'm Rita Gonzalez.
Well, in this month's segmentof Radio Q Glue, Amado Munoz of
Ethical Punk.
But before we introduce ourguests, we want to start this
(00:30):
show by saying that all of us atRadio Q Glue are devastated and
concerned about the recentfires in Los Angeles.
Each of us loves this city andare deeply affected by the
destruction and lives impactedby these fires.
Our thoughts are with thosefacing loss, danger and
uncertainty.
We stand in solidarity, aswe've been since Radio Q Glue
(00:55):
was Radio Glue when it startedin 1986.
With our resilient communitieswho have a long history of
coming together to support oneanother during difficult times.
Well, we have another segmentof Radio Q Glue podcast, a show
that takes a deep dive into whatthe queer, gay and lesbian
(01:17):
Latina community is talkingabout.
I'm Rita Gonzalez, I'm LydiaOtero and I'm Eduardo Archuleta.
Eduardo Archuleta (01:25):
In today's episode, we're talking with
Amado Munoz.
Amado is a trans Chicanoindigenous individual from South
Central Los Angeles with rootsplanted in the Fashion District
by his family who migrated fromMexico.
One of his life goals is tocreate visual impact and spark
(01:47):
conversation by challenging thegender binary and toxic culture
of masculinity, all whilecelebrating and adorning his
spirit as a creator and curatorof ethical punk.
Amado brings attention whereverhe goes, never shying away from
(02:07):
a stare down and walkingthrough the world with purpose.
He has resolved that his verypresence is his biggest weapon
in fighting against theinjustices in the world that
often disregard his identity.
Lydia Otero (02:23):
Hi Amado.
This is Lydia, and one of thethings that popped up in your
biography was about being fromSouth Central, los Angeles.
Amado Muñoz (02:33):
Yes, so share a little bit with our listeners
and tell us why your personalbackground and why being from
South Central is so important toyou, yes, you know, I think
first of all I'm just going tosay it and start it with the
word culture, right, tradition,and you know those things that
(02:55):
were rooted in my family whenthey migrated from Mexico to
South Central right and theyplanted their roots in the
fashion district.
And my grandfather is becausehe's still alive, you know
retired stitcher and so he didlike Nike stitching for the
(03:16):
tennis shoes, and my grandmotherwas a seamstress.
So they came here, plantedtheir roots.
11 children Fast forward, I'mthe oldest of 11.
So that is a big household rightto grow up in, and so what we
learned was a lot of thetraditional values that were
(03:39):
from Mexico, but obviouslynavigating our own world, in
this new world, from ourperspective.
So I think, a lot of thingsduring that time that I grew up
and my grandfather and mygrandparents arriving here, I
learned how to navigate thisplace that I found so beautiful,
in different neighborhoods, indifferent neighborhoods, in the
(04:04):
style, in the individuality, andI think, as a young trans kid,
that really spoke to me right,because I still felt I didn't
feel seen, but it wasn't at thatpoint about my transhood, it
was really about my culture.
So I think that that kind oflaid roots to me, figuring out
(04:26):
how to navigate my transhood, myneighborhood.
So I think that that's whySouth Central means so much to
me, because I was able to kindof figure out how I can survive
before I really needed tosurvive.
Lydia Otero (04:42):
And for our listeners that aren't from Los
Angeles what is South Central inrelation to Los Angeles, Like
how far is it far?
I'm sure sometimes it seems far, but or is it close?
Amado Muñoz (04:58):
Well, we know, california is so big, right,
like I know, when I talk tofolks in the Midwest, it's like
everything's like hours, 30minutes away and we can go from
one tip to the other tip andit's like, you know, we're
navigating for 14 hours or so ormore.
But LA, so South Central, I'mgoing to say, it's, you know, a
mile, two miles away from thecenter of downtown LA.
(05:21):
So I grew up near USC, near theold Coliseum, you know, near
Exposition Park, right NearOlvera Street.
So you know what I mean.
So everything is miles awayfrom where I grew up.
You know we were barelybuilding, creating or coming
from those.
(05:42):
La Placita, olvera is so known,right, about starting settling
there, right.
So all of that, as you know,coming as a growing up, as a
child.
So I'm seeing it through twoperspectives the ones that are
migrating and the ones that areflourishing it, right, the ones
(06:04):
that are coming over andplanting the seeds, and the ones
that we are, the ones that arewatering it right.
So those two kind of, you know,interpretations that I saw
about my city, I'm like, oh, myGod, I'm like in this and it's
happening.
So I don't know, for me, losAngeles has so much story.
We are that place that when youcome so I don't know, for me
(06:26):
Los Angeles has so much story weare that place that when you
come, you do have someone thatcan tell you about that corner,
that can tell you about thatlittle town, that little city,
that little restaurant.
And I feel that for mygrandparents and for us it was a
beautiful fusion.
It was a beautiful moment thatwe could definitely share stuff
because I'm learning from them.
So again, it wasn't about mytranshood, it was about my
(06:50):
neighborhood, it was about LosAngeles.
Rita Gonzales (06:54):
Oh, spoken like a true Angeleno.
I love it, I love it, I feel itin my heart.
Amado Muñoz (06:59):
It's part of who I am, it's part of my soul.
So thank you for acknowledgingthat.
Rita Gonzales (07:06):
Oh yeah, I'm a true Angeleno too.
Amado Muñoz (07:10):
All right.
Rita Gonzales (07:10):
Yeah, so I have a question.
This is Rita.
Talk about your curator ofethical punk, ethical punk.
Amado Muñoz (07:21):
What is that?
Oh, it's my baby.
Ethical Punk.
Ethical Punk, that's my baby.
What is that?
Oh, it's my baby.
Ethical Punk has.
So it emerged right.
It kind of transitioned as wellas I did.
So Ethical Punk was my name asan artist when I would get on
(07:42):
stage, ethical Punk to the stage.
I used to perform throughoutthe US and you know musicals
that would never go anywhere,but you know, I performed, you
know, when I was 26 and youngand vibrant, and so that was my
stage name Ethical Punk and itkind of resonated with me.
(08:03):
It was something that wascreated by me always feeling
like the outsider right, butmeeting people, lovers
specifically who would alwayssay, but you're a good one, like
you're a good punk, and thenyou know that one love that
(08:24):
comes to you and it's like youknow you're ethical, you know,
and I'm just like ethical punk.
So, again in my 20s, that wasthe name that I kind of ran with
.
Then it evolved to my creativepassion because I always felt
that my visual impact in peoplewas kind of startling right,
(08:46):
that my visual impact in peoplewas kind of startling right when
I was growing up, kind ofmasculine in what people would
think it's a little girl but I'mmasculine, presenting right.
So it's like what do you dowith this human right?
So I always felt kind of theoutsider, so that's why that
name really resonated.
So as I transitioned in my life,I transitioned in what I wanted
ethical to punk.
I still wanted to stimulatepeople and to call your
(09:08):
attention, but I also wanted tobring my culture who am I?
My Los Angeles culture, right.
My Chicano culture, my culturefrom grandparents who migrated.
You know, I'm a firstgeneration, I'm the oldest
grandchild from 11 brothers andsisters, right, so it's a lot of
(09:29):
power.
So when I started feeling like Iwanted to claim a little bit
more and ethical punk as anartist wasn't working for me,
this is when I started noticinga lot of the TikTok trends about
brown lipstick, like whitegirls wearing brown lipsticks or
white girls wearing hoops, orVersace selling huaraches.
(09:51):
Ooh-wee, my blood was boilingand you know, through that
passion and that I createdEthical Punk and what that was
is style, is jewelry, is ourhoops, it's those nameplates
that we crave so much, as kidsRemember when of jewelry, right,
(10:13):
and what happens with this onepiece of jewelry if we're lucky
enough, we're able to give it tosomeone, right.
And so that made it more of astory for me.
Like I sell chingona hoops, Isell cabrona.
(10:35):
But these words, what I'mtrying to do is claim them.
As a first generation person,those words had a lot of power
and it weren't the best, but nowI want to reclaim them.
So I wanted to switch thismentality of selling my culture
for profit and really selling myculture to the people that
would value it, understand it,adorn their spirit with that.
(11:00):
We would go out of our housewith tracksuits, with t-shirts,
with shorts, with chanclas, butwe had our little earrings, our
little necklace, our rings, youknow, and that to me, it's like
it's beautiful.
It's beautiful, it's being ableto step out in any way you want
(11:20):
, but having some type of armor,some type of armor which was,
oh, your ring is nice, oh, thankyou, that's like you know.
And then you talk about it,right, some type of you know,
where you can feel safe, walkingout because there'll be a
conversation stirred.
And even now, as people arewearing my pieces, you don't see
a they them pronoun.
You know.
(11:40):
They them in our culture.
They them, what's that?
Que es eso?
They them, oh, that's how Iprefer you to.
You know, address me, you openconversation.
So with Ethical Punk, what I'mtrying to do is that thing that
ethical we are of good people,we come of good people.
(12:02):
That is what I was taught.
We come of good people.
That is what I was taught.
So now I want to share thosestories through Ethical Punk, by
adorning your spirit andshining.
And it's not about masculinityand it's not about femininity,
it's about how does your spiritfeel right now and I would hope
it's the essence of yourneighborhood, of your traditions
(12:24):
, of your culture, and with meit also happens to be with
queerness.
That was all a mix of who I wasgrowing up and that's what
ethical punk really is.
You know a statement.
Eduardo Archuleta (12:37):
This is Eduardo.
In addition to designing andmaking jewelry, you're also an
advocate for trans and queerrights.
Yes, tell us a little bit moreabout that.
Amado Muñoz (12:48):
Absolutely.
Just for the record, I'm anemotional person so it might be
a little pausing, so that is anemotion creeping out.
But my story is of an immigrantmother who fell in love with my
father.
My father was immigrant.
They fell in love here in LosAngeles and my mom was the first
(13:14):
of 11 kids and she startedtaking her brothers and sisters
to the Head Start program.
I was married to my dad whenshe was 16, had my sister and I,
so I grew up with my.
It's a typical kind of growingup with your primas, I mean your
aunts, who are your age.
So we're all going to HeadStart and my mom is the only one
(13:38):
that can speak English andSpanish.
Choppy, growing up in SouthCentral, this was very much a
black you know neighborhood andmy mom and our whole family was
embraced, and so they were like,hey, you know you speak Spanish
to my mom and she's like, yeah,so she would help them
translate.
So then I started learning thatthere's workshops and support
(14:02):
groups, right, and my mom's justbeing part of that as a young
mom.
And then they tell her hey, ifyou take this class at USC, you
can get your certificate.
We need someone that'sbilingual.
Fast forward, my mom retiredafter 37 years of being a Head
Start preschool teacher becauseof love of the neighborhood.
So that's just another exampleof why my love is so deep.
(14:25):
We were taken care of.
They helped my mom feed us,take care of us, because she
became a single mom.
So then I'm learning aboutadvocacy and I'm learning about
stuff through my mom, justseeing her.
My mom becomes a social worker.
Then I'm navigating, somethingin me that's happening and I
don't know what it is and Ithink that it's.
(14:45):
You know, I'm queer and I thinkthat I'm gay, but I don't like
the word lesbian, and so I'mgoing through this and so I'm
learning through my mom and I'mlike you know what I've been
hearing stuff, let me do this.
So I open the yellow pages andI find organizations because I'm
hearing her say you know, youneed a support group, you need
(15:06):
resources, and I'm hearing allthese words.
So then I'm like I'm a child orsomething's happening to me
that needs resources and Icouldn't tell anyone.
So I started navigating,finding gay centers,
organizations.
Then I found gay and lesbianand at that time it was the
Yellow Pages and you saw theword Gay and Lesbian.
(15:26):
So at 19, I started attendingBienestar Human Services and it
wasn't enough for me.
I wanted to do more, so in thatI became a volunteer and in
that I started working forBienestar, a staff of human
services, and that's where mynonprofit of of and passion
(15:47):
being an activist and educatingwas fueled.
But but I feel it was fueled bymy mother and my grandmother.
But then I found somethingright that really meant a lot,
that resonated, which was queeryouth, which was I haven't told
my mom, but I seem to be okay.
I look like this person, youknow to be okay.
I look like this person, youknow.
And when I say look like thisperson to me, back then big
(16:10):
masculine presenting littlegirls weren't cool, right, we
were just like so, you know.
So that's why it's likeinteresting, because it's it's
really a cultural thing.
Then it transitions into youridentity, right, like how do you
become you as you're learningand navigating all these things
that are coming from you, fromyour culture, which is, you know
(16:32):
, weight loss, you know allthose things that we, you know,
looking whiter, you know, oh,you're not that dark, you're not
that white, you're a flat nose.
You know those things.
Man, you're growing up in aLatino culture in a
Mexican-American culture.
I'm going to learn tough skinright.
(16:52):
So I think you know theindividual love and attacks for
my family and the desire to justkind of flourish a little bit
more, because I've alreadylearned all this.
You know, you're making me standreally strong in my
neighborhood and then I'mlearning about activism and I'm
learning about and I'm learningabout Rita Gonzalez and I'm and
(17:14):
I'm learning about Lydia Otero.
You know and I'm living and I'mlearning about.
You know even the Chicanomovement.
You know and I'm learning aboutall these things and I'm like,
no, that like there's no storiesor rent documentation of us.
So it keeps on sparking me as aperson to be in front and not
(17:35):
to be silent.
I am a trans man.
I have an experience as a man,but my experience in my life is
as a trans individual, animmigrant from immigrant
families, first generations,right.
So I think that all of thatjust fueled the fact that I
needed to be in the front lines.
(17:56):
You know that I needed to speakmy story, that anything that
came from me whether it bebusiness, whether it be
performance, whether it beengaging with folks it needed to
be allowing for change,conversations of change that was
super important to me.
Lydia Otero (18:14):
I'm a little misty-eyed here because you feel
like our child, because RitaEduardo and I were there, there
when we were launching Bienestar, and so you know you bringing
it up is just very, verytouching to see like future
generation I mean younger-generations To see your fruit
(18:36):
and your labors.
Amado Muñoz (18:37):
and what an honor.
Lydia Otero (18:39):
Yeah, gracias, gracias.
I appreciate that.
So you've made a nameplate forme, right?
I feel like when I wear it.
I feel, like I'm making astatement.
I never thought of it as armor,but I'm going to think about it
(18:59):
.
We calibrate what my thinkingnext time I wear it.
But it's really I am making astatement when I wear it.
So my question to you is andyou touched a little bit upon it
Is there a brown, the mergingof a brown and queer aesthetic?
Do you see it?
Amado Muñoz (19:19):
Do I see it in my creations?
Yes, a queer and brownaesthetic, absolutely.
I mean, I feel that first ofall in my brand, yes, but I feel
that that aesthetic was again,I'm a procreation of y'all,
(19:40):
right.
So the brown, queer aestheticshas been of those that I've seen
, march, and what are theywearing, what are they showing?
How did they protect themselvesin?
You know, as brown individuals,it's different as we navigate,
like I said I'm bringing, I'mtelling you that I'm a trans
(20:00):
individual who first had tonavigate my brownness to stand
up for my queerness.
I was there first, before thequeerness even happened, yeah,
right.
So then, in developing mybusiness, absolutely, it was a
fusion Because, again, I was notgoing to allow Versace, kylie
(20:23):
Jenner, all of those folksclaiming that this is a new
trend, to stand on that.
This was a brown trend and sothis in the queerness, for me
it's like man, those traditionswith the nameplates, those
traditions with putting thosepieces of statement, nameplates,
(20:45):
those traditions would puttingthose pieces of statement, like
I think it's especially as atrans man.
I've never saw my name in anameplate because I didn't have
that right, because that wasn'tmy chosen name.
So now that I can create amodel.
You know I'm saying like what,what, how queer and how brown
could this be?
Because it comes from my brownculture and I am a queer trans
(21:08):
man that was never able to beloud and proud about a name that
I chose or that a name that I.
My full name is Amado PresleyMunoz Presley, and I do not mind
sharing my old name because Ithink in education it doesn't
stir any emotions.
Actually, because if it wasn'tfor Priscilla a beautiful name
(21:32):
with a beautiful soul, with abeautiful individual, I would
not be here.
She protected this, him, myessence, protected this Him, my
essence and it leads me tofemininity Is what protects our
(21:53):
culture Las mamas, las tias, thegay uncles, the feminine energy
that embraces us, that stillallows us to cry, be cry, to be
hugged and to also stand up foryour children, your familia.
My grandma was straight up inthe hood standing in front of
(22:14):
the cops, as the cops are tryingto wrangle my uncles and hurt
them.
You know, before we knew theywere getting hit on public
because we saw it on TV, thiswas happening already.
How can I not have my brownnessstand up first before my
queerness, right?
Because queerness we'redeveloping, we're figuring it
out, we'll probably suppress it.
My brownness was so loud, youknow, I needed to learn how to
(22:39):
protect myself and then, when Ifigured my company, I'm just
like those are the two thingsthat I want to cater to my queer
community.
You know I had a Haas.
You're familiar with a Haasright, the convention for
educators.
I was able to do a pop-up thereto see doctors of education
(23:00):
wanting to use my queer hoops.
It's a hexagon type of earringand in the center it says queer.
It's a level of class, you know,also regal.
It's very simple.
But to see the professors andthen one coming from Virginia
saying I need my students to seeme because she's a counselor
(23:21):
Right, because we're trying tofigure out how do we navigate
telling these kids without youknow what I mean, but we can do
it by presenting who we reallyare authentically in our jewelry
and our wear, really triggersthose conversations, challenging
conversations for communitybrowns and queer, those things
(23:42):
that we don't want to call,because queerness is not easy to
be talked out in browncommunities.
It has to be a fusion.
For me it has to be.
I have to collide them.
Rita Gonzales (23:52):
So how do we get your jewelry?
I mean yes.
Amado Muñoz (23:57):
I have my website, wwwethicalpunkcom.
You can read a little bit moreof my story and who I am.
It's all LA, you know.
It really represents my city.
It really talks about myqueerness.
All my models are queer ortrans, non-binary.
You know, I highlight that I'mabout undocumented folks and it
(24:22):
says that I'm about Black LivesMatter and I'm about that.
I'm about undocumented folksand it says that I'm about Black
Lives Matter and I'm about that.
So you know there's a lot ofeducation when you go into my
site.
So I would ask folks, beforethey look at the jewelry, to
really look at who I am right,because I really pride myself in
being vulnerable.
And also you can look me up onethicalpunk underscore, which is
(24:46):
my IG account, and right nowI'm also on TikTok.
I just started my TikTok, whichis ethical underscore punk.
So I'm trying.
You know I just turned 50.
So navigating social media it'snot my strong suit, but I'm
trying.
I'm trying to figure it out.
But those are the threeplatforms right now that you can
(25:09):
find me at.
Rita Gonzales (25:11):
Well, you've answered a lot of our questions
and I just went on your website.
It's really really awesome.
Amado Muñoz (25:16):
Oh, awesome, thank you.
Look at doing work andinterviewing.
Rita Gonzales (25:19):
Yeah, I just went right on it.
It's something that I may want.
You never know.
Oh, awesome.
So we're in a different eraright now.
This is 2025 and it seems likethis is going forward.
A lot's going to be happeningto all of us.
It's going to impact every oneof us, but what advice do you
have if you have any for youngtrans folks right now?
Amado Muñoz (25:42):
What I'm finding helpful for me as a very out
trans person that knows that Ican be hurt you know, in any
given moment, any visible queerperson, gay person, lesbian,
non-binary person to giveyourself the space to feel, but
(26:04):
also community.
We've thrived this hard becausewe've had communities.
All three of you that I havethe honor to be in front of
started this by coming together,by fighting together, by
navigating your life knowingthat you weren't alone, and so
(26:27):
what I feel that the time is isto really count on each other,
right, and I feel sometimes weas humble people brown people,
latino people, people of colorwe're very humble, and so it's
hard for us to be like, hey, youknow, how are you doing, or I
don't want to impose, or youknow, be here and be like no
(26:50):
one's called me.
But what should we do?
We should be proactive as well.
Pick up the phone, because weknow that we have people in our
community that have shown uslove.
We just are.
We don't know how to receivesometimes, and maybe I'm
speaking for myself, but all I'masking right now for people to
(27:10):
be safe is to really count oneach other, right, really
counting it.
Really check in on each otherhave plans of you know safety?
I never look.
I'm a brown boy from SouthCentral, trans first generation.
People talking to me aboutsafety plans was like what you
(27:31):
talking about safety plans?
But to be honest with you, whenI don't hear from a friend in a
week or something, I startgetting worried and I think just
knowing that someone is okay,that they need their time, that
you know those things we need tohonor.
So just knowing to honoryourself as well as to honor
others with emotions andfeelings, have community and
(27:56):
really protect yourself.
And what does that mean?
Really have conversations andsit with.
How do we protect each other?
And visit and visit and visitvenues and support your
community and celebrate withthem whenever they're going to
have it.
Do not be alone.
Find your people, find yourpeople.
(28:16):
Find your people Because itreally feels good.
That would be the only advice Ican give right now in a state
where we're all suffering forvarious reasons.
We're all looking on.
You know how to survive thesenext four years.
Lydia Otero (28:35):
That's beautiful advice, Amado.
Rita Gonzales (28:37):
Thank you Very touching I do want to thank you
very much for joining us here.
Lydia Otero (28:42):
For sure, for sure yeah.
It was very, very, very, verytouching and emotional.
Rita Gonzales (28:50):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Lydia Otero (28:52):
Nos vemos, amado, nos vemos.
Thank you so much.
Thank you much for joining us.
Nos vemos, amado, nos vemos.
Thank you so much, love you too.
Rita Gonzales (28:57):
We'd like to thank our guest, amado Munoz
from Ethical Punk.
Thanks for listening to Radio QGlue.
I'm Rita Gonzalez, I'm LidiaOtero and I'm Eduardo.
Eduardo Archuleta (29:08):
Archuleta.
Rita Gonzales (29:09):
Like us on our Facebook page or email us at
theoutagenda at gmailcom andhave a wonderful week, and
remember that being out is thefirst step to being equal.
Now stay tuned for this Way Out.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com