The musical Hamilton, the story about the life of Alexander Hamilton, has already become a cultural phenomenon, rewriting history to create a space for Black and Latinx voices. It’s an immigrant story, highlighting the role of black and brown bodies in the establishment of America. And while Hamilton has already made history a little bit more colorful, it continues to push for a more inclusive future.

The musical’s playwright, songwriter, and lead actor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, recently performed at his last show and quickly named his successor: Javier Muñoz. And while fans cried over the loss of Miranda, they also cried in celebration of Muñoz, as evident by the trending #Javilton. 

This trending hashtag is historical.

Not only is Javier Muñoz a phenomenal performer, but he’s also Latino, openly gay, and living with HIV. Despite all these intersecting identities, however, the world rejoiced his arrival (ignoring the bitter minority, of course).

The overwhelming positive reaction is shocking. Recent events have shown that to have even one of these identities is live in constant fear and marginalization. The Pulse shooting in Orlando highlighted the still-present homophobia in American society and the danger of being queer and Latinx.

Discrimination also has a direct negative influence on the health of queer Latinxs. LBG individuals who experienced stigma were three times more likely than those who did not to suffer a serious physical health problem over a one-year period. The CDC reports that Latino MSM (men who have sex with men) have a 1 in 4 chance of contracting HIV in their lifetime. And to live with HIV is to face constant stigma and even possible criminalization.

HIV disproportionally affects Latinxs as Latinxs account for almost one quarter of all estimated new diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States, despite representing about 17% of the total US population. And yet, only a little greater than 50 percent of Latinxs living with HIV are in continuous HIV care, resulting in a large disparities between infection and treatment.

Stigma in the healthcare setting is often cited as one of the main reasons for not engaging in care. According to a study conducted by Lambda Legal, people of color living with HIV and LBG people of color were at least twice as likely as their white, non-Latinx counterparts to report experiencing physically rough or abusive treatment by medical professionals. This high rate of discrimination leads people to delay treatment or to mistrust healthcare providers.

So why is Muñoz’s appointment in a leading role on Broadway so important?

Because he’s Latinx, gay, living with HIV, and no one is making a big deal out of it. Muñoz’s role provides high visibility and representation to the intersection of these identities and gives hope to queer Latinxs that have been forced into recluse out of fear of discrimination.

Stigma is a powerful force, especially when combined with machismo, linguistic barriers, immigration status, and low rates of insurance, as is found in many Latinx communities. The public’s mostly positive reception of Muñoz, however, gives hope for a more equitable and inclusive future.

As queer Latinxs, we’re often told that our narrative doesn’t matter: our voices are silenced and our stories are erased.  Lin-Manuel Miranda helped write Latinxs into history; hopefully, Javier Muñoz can do the same for us, with a rainbow colored pen.