Where doth lie that rarest of breeds they call "The Gay Latino"?

Here is the thing: I have no doubt Gay.com truly, sincerely and authentically wants to get to know me a little bit better. Heck! I'm sure they are patting themselves in the back for showing some inclusivity. But why am I still laughing about their recent attempt at knowing LGBT Latinos?

On Wednesday, the web portal posted a column on their site (as well as on PlanetOut) asking Latinos to tell them "What’s Your Gay Latino/Hispanic Life Like?" Never mind that while I might identify as a Latino man, I'm not sure that my "gay life" is too Latino or Hispanic. I mean, should I tell them I dance salsa every morning and eat nacho chips with guacamole every night?

Digging deeper, let's take a look at how they frame Latino/Hispanic gay life:

Judging by their questions they seem to think that gay Latinos are in the closet ("As a Latino/Hispanic, do you have a 'coming out' story specific to your culture? Or do you have any stories describing why you feel you cannot 'come out' as an LGBT Latino?"), prone to being victims of homophobic attacks ("Could you provide an experience where you were a victim of gay bashing/abuse from fellow Latinos vs. non-Hispanic people, whether you were 'out' or not?"), have no access to books, television, films or computers ("How did you learn about sex and sexual orientation? Was it from family, friends, religion, etc?" or "How did you learn about STDs and safe sex? Was it culturally specific through organizations or just through personal experiences?"), and might not get what 'gayness' entails ("What are your perceptions of what makes a gay man - top/bottom or other roles? - and a lesbian in Latino/Hispanic culture?").

That's not necessarily wanting to know more about LGBT Latinos. It's requesting that LGBT Latinos respond according to a number of stereotypical assumptions about being Latino and LGBT (you know, that there are few if any out LGBT Latinos, that Latinos are more homophobic, and that we might define sexuality by the sexual positions we assume when having sex).

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit but here is the kicker: What was the impetus behind Gay.com's new-found interest on finding out more about LGBT Latinos? Why none other that Mexican-American singer Linda Ronstadt!

In an interview that also was posted on Gay.com on Wednesday, Ms. Ronstadt, who to her credit has always been a strong ally to LGBT Latinos, speaks about lesbian ranchera singer Lucha Reyes, the passage of Prop. 8 in California last year, homophobia in the Latino community, and her role coordinating the upcoming San Jose Mariachi Festival (Ms. Rondstadt, once known more for her pop hits, has embraced Mex-Tex and Mariachi big band culture and enjoyed great acclaim and success in this stage of her prolific career).

"Ronstadt's involvement" Gay.comwrites, "made us want to know more about the cultural experiences of being LGBT in the Latino/Hispanic community."

Anyway, who knows? Perhaps Gay.com will get some good feedback and profile a number of groovy gay Latinos. But, just as Gay.com tells Ms. Ronstadt that "something needs to be done to bridge the gay gap in the Hispanic community", perhaps Gay.com also needs to do something about the fact that, in this day and age, they seem to have no clue about LGBT Latinos nor seem to know any out LGBT Latinos they could have interviewed on these topics.

Are Californians ready to try again on marriage equality?

Is it too soon to try for marriage equality again in California? Some major funders of last year’s failed “No on 8″ campaign, which opposed changing the state’s constitution to roll back marriage equality, say they aren’t convinced 2010 is the right time to once again put the issue to voters, according to an article in the New York Times.

David Bohnett, a philanthropist who invested heavily in “No on 8″ last year, said major funders are prepared to help a new campaign, as long as its the right campaign. ”In conversations with a number of my fellow major No on 8 donors, I find that they share my sentiment: namely, that we will step up to the plate — with resources and talent — when the time is right. The only thing worse than losing in 2008 would be to lose again in 2010,” Bohnett said.

One key player in the next battle will likely be Marc Solomon, marriage director for Equality California. In gauging whether or not the organization should put its muscle behind a 2010 statewide ballot initiative or wait for more favorable conditions in 2012, Solomon said political experts and the public polling suggest 2010 may be too early. ”I expected having watched the protests and the real pain that the L.G.B.T. community had experienced that there would be some real measurable remorse in the electorate. But if you look at the poll numbers since November, they really haven’t moved at all,” Solomon said.

But not everyone agrees with the funders and political experts. Younger activists, energized by the loss last year, want to move ahead quickly, according to some LGBT rights advocates.

What is it about Sarah?

Ten months ago, no one could have anticipated the contempt and loathing Sarah Palin has faced, particularly from high profile members of the left. She has experienced, or been victim of, the worst our political system can dish out. Leaving this ugly spectacle behind for the sake of her family is perfectly understandable and probably the right thing to do
but Is Sarah Palin more a victim of her own success?

Did KRXQ go too far with Transgender comments?

Morning drive show ”Rob, Arnie and Dawn” has ceased broadcasting until June 11th following advertiser and listener backlash due to a controversial segment bashing transgender and cross-dressing teens.

Chipotle, Snapple and Sonic are among nine advertisers withdrawing crucial business from the show in protest of the May 28th broadcast. During the show, co-host Arnie States said:

“If my son, God forbid, if my son put on a pair of high heels, I would probably hit him with one of my shoes. I would throw a shoe at him.”

Host Rob Williams concurred.

“A boy who wears a dress is a freak. He’s a nut.”

The pair went on to admonish transgender people and their supporters to “stop hiding behind research and laws.” It bears repeating that some studies indicate gay, lesbian and transgender teens are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.

In a headache-inducing, all-caps statement made on their website, the hosts had this to say for themselves:

WE PRESENTED OUR OPINIONS ON A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT IN A HATEFUL, CHILDISH AND CRUDE FASHION; AND THEN, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETRACT THOSE REMARKS, WE DEFENDED THEM.

SINCE THEN, YOU, OUR LOYAL LISTENERS, HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO US THAT WE WENT TOO FAR. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING. NONE OF YOU SAID THAT WE COULDN’T HAVE OPINIONS, YET SO MANY OF YOU SAID THAT THE WAY WE GAVE THEM CROSSED THE LINE. FURTHER, YOU SAID THAT OUR ATTEMPT TO MASK OUR COMMENTS AS “JOKES THAT WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY OUR AUDIENCE,” WAS UNACCEPTABLE. I WOULD SAY NOW THAT IT WAS WORSE THAN THAT, IT WAS COWARDLY. YOU HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR.

LB news paper makes....

This cartoon was published in the Long Beach
Gazette. I think it's objectionable, but I welcome your thoughts.

YOU DECIDE: Did Miss California’s Answer Cost Her the Crown?

While we do live in a land where there is freedom of speech, we hope that people who represent us, even those who wear Vaseline on their teeth and can walk and wave while turning their hand at the wrist at the same time at least have a general understanding of what is at stake in the fight for marriage equality.


Somewhere, former Miss South Carolina Caitlin Upton is having a really good laugh.

At this weekend's Miss USA pageant, Perez Hilton, posed the following question to Miss California, Carrie Prejean, and the answer set a new standard in bad beauty pageant interview answers:

“Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?” Hilton asked.

And ..ladies and gentlemen... this is how Miss California responded:

"We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

There were cheers and there were reportedly “boos” for the first time in pageant history.

Ultimately, Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton, was crowned Miss USA at the Hard Rock Café Resort and Casino on Sunday evening.

Miss California was first runner up.

Check out her response below:


It kinda makes you miss Lauren Katlin - Miss South Carolina:

Really? Texican Whopper? Really?!?

Sound a little familiar? We all remember the Taco Bell Chihuahua! That campaign caused quite a stir among Mexicans and other Latin Americans as well. Is it really necessary to offend an entire segment of the population just to sell fast food? Do you find these ads offensive?



Burger King recently launched an ad campaign in Spain for their Texican Whopper which is causing quite a controversy. The Whopper is topped with taco-coated chili con carne, spicy jalapenos, onion, lettuce and Cajun mayonnaise and is described in the advertisement as “inspired by the land where a man ain’t afraid to sink his teeth into something spicy.”

The TV ad depicts a diminutive Mexican wrestler alongside a cowboy and describes the Texican as "The taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican." In an accompanying print ad, the wrestler is wearing the Mexican flag as a cloak. Mexico has very strict laws covering the use of its flag and this is not the first time Mexico’s national flag has been improperly portrayed. Just last year, Mexico fined foreign-owned publishing house, Random House Mondadori for disrespecting the country’s flag in an online video.

Mexico’s ambassador to Spain, Jose Zermeno, criticized the ad, declaring in a letter to Burger King that it, “improperly used the stereotypical image of Mexicans.” Zermeno also asked for Burger King to pull the ad and apologize for offending Mexican cuisine.