And I don’t understand how anyone could treat someone differently, as if they were better than them. It breaks my heart that anyone would ever feel like they were born less than someone else. They tell me their personal stories, they tell me their struggles and what they feel. In the 25 years I’ve been here, I’ve had kids come and cry to me. And I have such a special relationship with these kids that they feel like my own. But I have experienced a couple of times when we’ve gone out of town, people make derogatory comments. In our community, I’ve never really experienced that. In episode 4, you said you “get angry” when folks talk about your “boys.” What makes you angry? We spoke with Aldama to get a better sense of why she so adamantly defends her cheerleaders-her “kids”-and how she learned to be so accepting. And while she tells that the Corsicana community “loves the cheerleaders” wholeheartedly, acceptance so often comes only after allies like Aldama are strong enough to stand up to hate and defend LGBTQ+ young adults who struggle in places like small-town Texas.
She stands as an example of what it means to be a real ally of the LGBTQ+ community, to see another person for who they are and not judge them by their mannerisms or the person they love.
It becomes evident in the series that Aldama is a champion for her student-athletes no matter how they identify and regardless of her own views. I’m there to be your advocate, and I’m there to make you a better person.” And I won’t budge about my beliefs at all. I’ve had a long conversation with my pastor at the church that I’m a member of.