Gay Giant

Ebensperger debuts with a big pink splash in this forthright but lighthearted memoir about the struggles of growing up gay in Chile. “Have you ever had the feeling that even if you wanted to you’d never blend in?” he asks before chronicling his experience of feeling, from a very young age, like an outsider. His penchant for playing with dolls, distaste for sports, and general effeminacy set him apart from his peers, particularly in a country where machismo rules as ideal, even among other gay males. As Ebensperger matures, he endures the occasional homophobia of his unwitting family (particularly his grandmother), navigates puberty and his burgeoning sexuality, and draws inspiration from celebrities such as Alanis Morrisette and Björk. Contending with self-hate is a recurring theme: “Please, God, I don’t want to be a queer cross-dressing hairstylist when I grow up.” Though it’s a familiar coming-out arc, Ebensperger generously spices the script with his cheeky humor and vivacious visuals (whenever he draws himself in heterosexual territory, he is delineated in fabulous pink, in contrast to the stolid grays of everyone else). This entertaining, funny, and warmhearted chronicle of the rocky road toward self-acceptance is a real charmer. (May)