Juan  Castellano

Name: Juan  Castellano

Birth Place: Dorado, Puerto Rico 1965 

Occupation: Respiratory Therapist 

Words that best describe you? 

Family oriented, loyal, workaholic. 

 Who has been your biggest influence in your life? 

My mother mostly, although she has always been very religious she never wavered in her understanding that I was who I was and that my happiness was all that mattered. An uncle who treated me like his own son, he once admitted that he and my father bickered about my fathers reluctance to take pride in his son. My platonic BF Marc, we met at a charity AIDS fundraiser in 1993. At that time I was struggling with social paranoia, feeling insecure about my place in life and the future. He was a rebel without a cause, very much an extrovert, a biker into leather and recovering alcoholic. I was smitten immediately with his rugged good looks and smile. I soon found out he had begun dating someone (a mutual friend) he had met at the fundraiser, I was crushed. We met by chance a few months later, they had broken up, but I was dating someone else (that didn’t last long).

Although Marc and I realized we were not sexually compatible we established a great friendship, he took me under his wing. Introduced me to the leather community and guided me thru finding myself and the possibilities in taking chances. For my 30th birthday, we spent the week in P-Town that’s when we realized I had come out of my shell of insecurity. He has since passed but I remember him fondly. 

 When did you become out to friends and family? 

I was never in. The first time I kissed a boy, we were in kindergarten. I was suspended but I never apologized for feeling the way I did towards other boys. 

 I would give anything to meet…

I don’t know. If I’m meant to meet someone it will probably happen. 

I think perhaps the late George Michael, I really think he had great talent and apparently was very generous with his good fortune. It’s unfortunate he wasn’t able to break thru his grief over the loss of Anselmo. 

Your idea of a perfect evening is?

A perfect evening would be having a nice intimate dinner with my husbear in NYC and catching a Broadway show. 

 The last book I read was ….

Ms Peregrine home for peculiar children. Although I have to say the first book was the best (in my opinion). The movie did it a disservice, after that my interest was lost and couldn’t get thru the insufferable last book. 

 My favorite movies/plays are?

Movies: Thelma and Louise (wish there was a remake with gay characters), all the Harry Potter movies, the fifth element. Reinas and anything directed by Pedro Almodovar. 

 Plays: Wicked, Rent, les Miserable, 

Nobody knows that I ……

In my youth was a bigger slut than they could imagine. 

 What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

I’m in love with Rome. The city, language, culture, people and mostly the food.

We have visited twice and dream of perhaps living the some day. 

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Agreed to take a small Cessna plane ride with Marc in the white mountains of New Hampshire after smoking a couple of joints. Things got very interesting when the pilot allowed my to take over once I admitted to him I had taken some flying lessons. 

 What odd talent do you have?

I had an ability as a kid to sense things otherworldly. It’s something you have to embrace and harness. But, I’ve shied away from it. Lately, I’ve been learning projecting it’s brought calmness to my sleep pattern. 

What had been your biggest setback or failure in life and how did you overcome it? 

I always dreamed of being a father, as a gay kid I knew that would be nearly impossible. I was ecstatic to learn my husbear had two kids of his own. We have been able to raise two well rounded adults. I’m very happy to have had the opportunity to help raise them. Looking forward to grandkids. 

If I could meet my younger self, I would tell him…

Don’t hold back! 

 What are the biggest challenges you have as a gay man after 40?  ……

Not falling into the trap of living as an “old gay man” I stay active and positive about the future. 

What would you like to say to the Gay Life after 40 tribe? 

Keep charging forward.

Where can our readers find you or know more about you ?

FB or directly pontocorvo@aol.com