I have some big news—maybe the most exciting I’ve shared to date! I have a new name! I settled on this name change quite a while ago, and have been slowly testing the waters with specific people, but I’m ready to stop dipping my toes in and take the plunge. So, allow me to reintroduce myself.
My name is Sonido Reyes, and I use he/him and they/them pronouns.
Ahh! How cool to finally be able to say that! If you are a someone who already calls me Soni, that nickname still resonates, but the name Sonido is now what I go by professionally, and what Soni is now short for. All my social media has also changed to Sonido Reyes if you’d like to find me!
I want to be clear in saying that I do not consider Sonora to be a dead name. Please keep in mind that I am just one trans person, and in my specific experience, I have a positive association with my old name. I like to think of Sonora not as my dead name, but as my once upon a name. Part of the reason it took me so long to change it is because I actually really love the name Sonora. It’s a name I took a lot of pride in, but it just no longer suits who I am today.
I changed my name not because I couldn’t stand to be called Sonora, but because I couldn’t stand that people so often associated the name Sonora with a gender that is not mine. People just assumed the name Sonora went with she—even some who would otherwise look at me and gender me correctly before hearing that name. I didn’t want to get to a point where I resented my old name, so it was better for me to let it go before ‘Sonora’ had the chance to become dead to me.
I chose the name Sonido because it is reminiscent of Sonora. It has a similar meaning, and is just as unique. It’s a bit of a pokemon evolution of a name, which I felt was fitting, since I love both. I don’t want to hide what my name used to be, I only want people to call me by Sonido going forward.
On a more vulnerable note, going public about this is frankly terrifying, especially right now. Part of me wonders if putting more attention on myself while there's already a target on my back is naive. I can’t expect this to be received with only flowers and sunshine. I have amazing friends and followers, and while I'm sure there will be a lot of people who support me, I'm still anxious about how some might react.
Still, I chose this name for a reason. Sonido and Sonora both mean ‘sound.’ I have always prided myself on being vocal about what I believe in. Even if not everyone likes what I have to say, I long to make noise—to be perceived. It’s why I write the books I write. It’s why I’m still here. Because if there’s anyone around to hear me, it means I’m not alone.
I have called myself trans for years now, but I don’t think I’ve ever confidently called myself a man. Part of it is just knowing that I won’t be fully accepted that way as someone who doesn’t pass, but I also don’t really care anymore. I just want to be heard.
I am a man, and my name is Sonido.
That said, you will likely see copies of my books floating around for quite a while with my old name. PLEASE DO NOT BOYCOTT THEM. I hope to eventually see new printings of my first books with my new name, but new printings only happen if the old ones sell! Think of the books with Sonora on the cover as limited-edition, pre-evolution copies of Sonido books lol. I WANT those books to sell, and boycotting them because of the old name would only make it take longer to see them with my new name. For now, if you see my pre-evolution name out in the wild, please show my base form some love!
I also want to note that the first few episodes of Bidi Bidi Book Pod were recorded before my name changed, so you may also get a bit of pre-evolution Sonido content in there for a while lol.
Aaaaaand I have some really exciting post-evolution book news to share very soon! Stay tuned!
I’ll also be doing some events in the upcoming weeks/months, so if you’re local to any of the below locations, come and find me to say hello and get a book signed! Event pages are linked below.
Friday, 2/5 in San Diego, CA: Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow in conversation with Sonido Reyes at 7pm at Mysterious Galaxy
Tuesday 2/10: Virtual book launch for It’s All in Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist in conversation with Sonido Reyes at 6pm mountain/8pm eastern
March 14-15 in Tucson, AZ: Tucson Festival of Books
Sonido Reyes is the award-winning and bestselling author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, The Broposal, and The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar. They also have contributed short stories to the anthologies Transmogrify! and For the Rest of Us.
Sonido writes fiction celebrating queer and Mexican stories in a variety of genres and age categories. He serves as the vice-president of My Galvanized Friend, a nonprofit focused on providing access to and amplifying LGBTQ+ writing, art, and creators. Sonido also co-hosts the podcast Bidi Bidi Book Pod, which celebrates queer and trans BIPOC authors and stories.
