Kyle DeLeon, 35, of Texas, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2018.
Ultimately, DeLeon learned to embrace his queerness like never before and harness his newfound confidence intocanceradvocacy work.
Heres his story, as told to senior health writer Katie Camero.
Photo by Lauren Gerson (right) / Kyle DeLeon (left)
Ive always felt like I wasnt enough.
Never Latino enough or man enough.
But then I lost my testicle to cancer and everything changed.
Ive always felt serious pressure to conform or live my life in a certain way.
I started dating my now ex-wife when we were just 21.
On our first date, I told her I was bisexual, which she was very understanding of.
We ended up getting married at 25, and it was tough.
When we did that, the question turned into When are yall going to get married?
When we made that happen, it was then, When are yall going to have children?
I noticed a lump in my testicle in 2018, two days before my 29th birthday.
Two days later, I had surgery to remove my testicle.
Losing this part of myself made me question my masculinity.
Was I now less of a man because I only had one testicle?
Slowly but surely, I started to feel more at home in my body.
I became a little sillier, a bit freer, more flamboyant.
I felt like I finally had a license to be moremein every way.
I just felt…free.
Cancer also gave me a lot of perspective on the brevity of life.
She was a wonderful caregiver and is a lovely human being who I still love and adore.
We were together longer than we probably should have been, and we know that now.
In 2019, I became a grassroots manager for theAmerican Cancer Society Cancer Action Networkhere in Texas.
I felt so energized joining a team that was so capable and motivating and that trusted me.
Im now going to be six years cancer-free this fall.
We find individual and collective strength by being outsidersdifferent from what society says is acceptable and normal.
Im just going in feeling confident and cute!
Imthatguy with the mustache and nail polishand I couldnt be happier.
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