EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Pride Month is all about celebrating people living out loud, and for El Paso native Sidney Alvarez, that journey has included a career in local TV news, a lot of personal growth, and now a new book aimed at helping others heal.
Alvarez, a former El Paso journalist who previously worked at KFOX 14 and CBS 4, recently spoke with ARC El Paso about his career, his new book, and what it was like growing up queer in the Borderland. Alvarez said his upbringing gave him a mix of cultures and a strong connection to the city he once covered on-air.
Sidney Alvarez worked at KFOX 14 in 2000
“I grew up between New Orleans and El Paso, so I have the best of both worlds. I have the Cajun side and the Latin side. I always advocate for El Paso,” Alvarez said. “I was one of the journalists at KFOX and I loved telling stories because I was telling stories of my community, our community. Something happening on the East Side impacted a family member. Something happening on the West Side impacted family members and cousins. That made me pay attention to the storytelling because I knew what I was reporting was impacting the community.”
For Alvarez, working in his hometown wasn’t just about delivering the day’s headlines. He said it was also about representation, especially as an openly gay on-air personality in El Paso.
“I think I’m a pioneer, especially in El Paso. I was probably one of the first openly gay on-air personalities in El Paso. And I took a hit for it,” Alvarez said. “People were very supportive, and on the other side there were people who were not supportive. But I wanted to make sure that I was always my authentic self. I wanted to make sure people could see us in a light that is positive and in a light that we can be proud of.”
Sidney Alvarez worked at KFOX 14 in 2000
Those experiences helped shape his new book, “Your Soulmate Expired, and That’s Okay.” Alvarez explained the title reflects both the idea of lasting love and the reality that some relationships end.
“So the title of my book is ‘Your Soulmate Expired, and That’s Okay.’ Your soulmate represents eternity, that eternal love that we all strive for and that we all want. Well, in my case, it also expired. And the other half of my title is ‘that’s okay,’” Alvarez said. “My message is that yes, we can have these great loves and yes, sometimes they fail, but it’s okay because our hearts are big enough to love again.”
The book explores the end of a 23-year relationship, but Alvarez said the bigger focus is on learning how to move forward, including taking accountability.
“One of the chapters is about owning your wrongdoings. I actually paint myself as the villain in my own book,” Alvarez said. “We need to own up to our mistakes. We need to own up to when we do something wrong. But when you own up to something, you also have to not carry the guilt and the shame. You can learn from your mistakes, but if you’re carrying that guilt and shame, you’re not going to move forward.”
Alvarez also said he hopes the book connects with readers who may have felt different or out of place while growing up, and he pointed to continued progress and support for the LGBTQ community in El Paso.
Former KFOX14 report Sidney Alvarez releases new book
“We still have so much more work to do, but we’re in a good position to continue great work. Organizations are out there doing amazing things, and when it comes to the LGBTQ community in El Paso, it’s a great place,” he said.
If there’s one takeaway Alvarez wants readers to hold onto, it’s that real healing starts with the relationship you have with yourself.
“The central message that I want people to take from reading my book is that you need to have a relationship with yourself first. You need to develop that self-esteem. You need to have that internal strength before you can turn around and try to love someone else,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez’s book is available now on Amazon, with Kindle and audiobook versions coming soon.
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