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Quinceañeras mark the crossing from childhood into something new, a moment wrapped in family pride and ritual. They feature ball gowns, shimmering crowns and even a court of close family and friends. These celebrations have long centered girls, leaving boys, particularly queer and gay boys, watching from the sidelines.

“Being a cis gay male, I didn’t really get the chance to celebrate my own quinceañera because traditionally that’s not the way it works,” said Oliver DelGado, chief marketing and communications officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Delgado recalls that his cousin’s quinceañera fell on his 18th birthday, becoming a joint celebration. With his family’s support, he em

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