Writer & EMT Isaac Grijalva on 6½ Days in the City, Bisexual Identity & Self-Publishing Secrets

What does it mean to tell your story when you're still becoming, when the shape of who you are hasn't fully settled, but the need to write it down refuses to wait?

In this episode of Embracing All of Me, Ross sits down with Isaac Grijalva, writer, EMT, and author of 6½ Days in the City, to explore identity, self-discovery, and the unglamorous realities of self-publishing as a bi+ non-binary Latinx author. Isaac shares how writing began as a form of therapy during a turbulent childhood, and how those experiences shaped his debut novel, a story that refuses to soften the edges around family, generational trauma, hookup culture, and the search for meaningful connection when you don't yet know what "meaningful" looks like for you.

We get into:

• ​What it feels like to be unseen by the people closest to you, and how that invisibility shapes the stories you need to tell

• ​The tension between family loyalty and becoming yourself, especially when those two things don't align

• ​How bisexual and non-binary identity shapes storytelling, not just as subject matter, but as narrative structure and voice

• ​The truth about hookup culture and emotional intimacy, what we're actually looking for when we say we're "just having fun"

• ​Self-publishing tips, scams to avoid, and hard-won lessons for new authors navigating an industry designed to exploit desperation and talent

• ​Why "AI can write, but it doesn't have a voice" — and what that means for anyone trying to create something that matters

Whether you're a writer working up the courage to publish, a creative navigating your own identity, or someone still figuring out how to tell your story without apologizing for it, this conversation is a reminder that your story matters — and you're not alone in figuring it out.

About Isaac Grijalva:Isaac Grijalva is a writer and EMT whose debut novel, 6½ Days in the City, explores family, identity, and the search for connection through the lens of bisexual and non-binary experience. Writing as therapy turned into storytelling as resistance, and now, as craft.

Connect with Isaac:Website: isaacgrijalvabooks.com

Learn More:Embracing All of Me is a storytelling and advocacy platform for the multi, complex, and in-between, uplifting the voices of Bi+ people of color, our kin and friends.Website: https://embracingallofme.orgEmail: stories@embracingallofme.orgInstagram: @embracingallofmee

Take Action:

• ​Contribute a written piece to Embracing All of Me
• ​Book a Creative Consult with Ross Victory

Topics: Isaac Grijalva, 6½ Days in the City, bisexual author, non-binary author, Latinx authors, Queer Latinx writers, self-publishing, LGBTQ+ fiction, bi+ storytelling, generational trauma, hookup culture, emotional intimacy, family dynamics, writing as healing, creative storytelling, self-publishing tips, indie publishing, bisexual identity, non-binary identity, queer literature

https://www.millionpodcasts.com/bisexual-podcasts/

What does it mean to truly embrace a fluid identity in a world that demands certainty? And why does bisexual visibility so often arrive without the protection it promises?

In this episode, Aurelio Castro, bi+ activist, researcher, and co-organizer of Italy's first bi+ Pride, joins Embracing All of Me to unpack the lived realities of bisexuality: not just as attraction, but as a cultural lens and political resistance to systems built on binaries.

Together, we explore two provocations that reframe bi+ identity work:

1. Visibility without protection can become a burden — representation alone doesn't keep us safe

2. Bisexual identity challenges societal systems, not just who we're attracted to — fluidity dismantles the binary at a structural level

Aurelio shares their journey from rejection in early queer spaces to building transnational bi+ organizing infrastructure, bridging academia and activism along the way. This is a conversation about embodying identity, not proving it — a reminder that self-embrace isn't about certainty, but about refusing to collapse yourself into someone else's framework.

In This Episode:

• Why bisexual visibility politics often fail bi+ people (and what actually creates safety)
• How Aurelio went from navigating biphobia to organizing Italy's first bisexual Pride
• The role of academic research in bi+ activism — and why lived experience can't be separated from theory
• What it means to resist erasure by refusing the binary, not by arguing for inclusion within it
• How to trust fluid identity in a culture obsessed with fixed categories

This conversation is for anyone navigating fluid identity, questioning the limits of visibility politics, or seeking a deeper understanding of what it means to resist erasure, not by fitting in, but by refusing the binary altogether.

Connect with Aurelio Castro:
https://www.bisexualresearch.com/

Take Action:

• Contribute a written piece to Embracing All of Me
• Book a Creative Consult with Ross Victory

Learn more: https://embracingallofme.org
Instagram: https://instagram.com/embracingallofmee
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@embracingallofme

Contact us: stories@embracingallofme.org

Keywords: bisexual identity, bi+ activism, bisexuality, fluid identity, biphobia, homophobia, Italy bi Pride, LGBT Italty bisexual visibility, bisexual organizing, queer activism, Aurelio Castro, Italian researchers, binary resistance, bi erasure, LGBTQ+ identity politics

Polyamory. Ethical non-monogamy (ENM). Open relationships. The language is everywhere, but what do these terms actually mean, and how do you know which one fits?

In this episode, Kelvin Pace, AASECT-certified sex therapist and owner of Selva Sexual Wellness, breaks down the difference between polyamory, ENM, swinging, and open relationships. More than definitions, Kelvin reframes the conversation around relationship orientation vs. relationship practice, and why autonomy, not compromise, is the foundation of healthy connections.

What You'll Learn:

• What is polyamory? How it differs from ethical non-monogamy (ENM), open relationships, and swinging

• Bisexuality and non-monogamy myths — Why being bi doesn't mean you're wired for polyamory

• Sexual communication skills — The missing piece in most relationships (monogamous or not)

• How to navigate jealousy — Why jealousy is an emotion, not a moral failing

• Relationship autonomy — How to build connections without sacrificing who you are

• Kink, shame, and BIPOC communities — How religion and generational trauma shape our relationship scripts

• Questions to ask before exploring polyamory — Including relationship agreements, boundaries vs. rules, and time management

Resources Mentioned:

• Polysecure by Jessica Fern
• Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel

Connect with Kelvin Pace:

• K Pace Counseling: kpacecounseling.net
• Instagram: @kpace37
• Selva Sexual Wellness (Colorado Springs)

This episode is for anyone questioning monogamy, exploring consensual non-monogamy, or navigating identity and desire outside the default script , especially bi+ folks and BIPOC communities.

Learn more: https://embracingallofme.org
Instagram: https://instagram.com/embracingallofmee
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@embracingallofme

Contact us: stories@embracingallofme.org

Keywords: polyamory, ethical non-monogamy, ENM, open relationships, consensual non-monogamy, what is polyamory, polyamory vs open relationship, sex therapy, AASECT, Kelvin Pace, kink, sexual communication, relationship autonomy, bi+ identity, bisexual and polyamory, BIPOC relationships, queer relationships, Jessica Fern Polysecure, Esther Perel

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