Barrio Boy tells the story of Quique (pronounced KEE-kay), a Nuyorican barber living in a rapidly changing Brooklyn neighborhood who embarks on an erotically charged odyssey of self discovery. A chance encounter on a basketball court sparks an instant attraction between Quique and a handsome Irish stranger passing through town to settle his late father’s affairs.

As this friendship blossoms, so do suspicions about the nature of their relationship, especially to the jealous eye of Cuz, Quique’s childhood friend turned local bully. Quique’s quest for love and self-acceptance is further realised as he navigates his way through complex and often messy layers of sexuality, family, friends, race, and class.