Published in 2016, Sergio Y. by Alexandre Vidal Porto is the first [*] novel featuring a transgender Armenian-Brazilian woman as a titular character.
Vidal Porto is a writer, diplomat, and social activist. He is the author of two novels: Matias na cidade and Sergio Y. He is a Harvard-trained lawyer whose advocacy focuses on LGBT and minority rights.
The story is a first-person narrative of a psychiatrist, Armando, who treats a patient named Sergio Y, who is seventeen years old. Armando learns of Sergio’s Armenian heritage, specifically his great-grandfather who immigrated to Brazil. After a few weeks, Sergio thanks Armando for his help and abruptly stops therapy.
The narrative then follows how Armando discovers that Sergio moved to New York City. He learns of Sergio’s gender affirmation and how she changed her name to Sandra. Dogged by his failures to provide Sandra appropriate care, he attempts to reconnect with her.
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ISBN: 978-1-60945-327-5. Published by Europa Editions.
