Many community organizers in Puerto Rico, will agree that party loyalty will override any other conflicting loyalties you may have at election times. Whether you are trying to organize around environment, racism, labor rights, AIDS and/or LGBT rights. People will listen, maybe even understand and agree, but at the time of election, they will act like zombies walking into the electoral booth to vote according to their party affiliation. (There is a small number of mostly white elite people that will self identify as leftist, mostly in their young years, but as they grow old and become more conservative will end up being “melones.” Melones are leftists on the outside democrats at heart! (Their emphasis)

As one of the founding members of ACT-UP PR, party loyalty was one of the biggest hurdles to organize people. There are two ways how political parties tune into the people in Puerto Rico, most people are “born into their party” you are either born “penepé”(usually associated with Republicans) or “popular” (usually associated with Democrats) because your parents and your grandparents and their parents belonged to that party. The second way, is through employment (or the promise of one.) Governement of Puerto Rico is one of, if not the biggest, employer. Chances are that you, your dad, your mother, cousin, uncle, niece or cousin job will end up working for the government and you will fear for your/their job and vote to keep a party in power. You would be surprised as to the many ways in which these two different reasons are intertwined.

Activists and LG leaders in PR always struggle to keep partisan politics out of their work because they recognize that if they let it come in, that is the end to LGBT organizing in Puerto Rico. The ties to partisan politics are stronger than education, facts, numbers, friendship, etc. That is why even HIV/AIDS advocacy groups have been vocal, or not, depending which government or politician is being criticized. This is a fact, of every-day life in Puerto Rico and the best way to organize has been so far to walk around it. To continue to educate, and to not bite into it.

That is why it was very disturbing, but not surprising, the recent commotion after Cecilia La Luz, a well known lesbian activist, recently, and dare I say, unfortunately as well as irresponsibly, issued a solid endorsement of Luis Fortuño for Governor. This endorsement on spite of Fortuño’s clear alliance with the religious right and his long record of statements, supporting positions that are clearly prejudicial to the LGBT community in Puerto Rico. Cecilia, is a clear example of Puerto Ricans whose loyalty to their party colors is way above their own interests or worse, against the interests of those they strive to represent. Party loyalty for Cecilia (as well as to many, many Puerto Ricans) is more important, so much more, that Cecilia risks whatever credibility and good work she may have done in order to bring her party to power. Her integrity is at least, questionable.

It was refreshing to see other activists to quickly move to provide damage control by issuing declarations not endorsing any other candidate but certainly withdrawing, collectively, their support of Mr. Fortuño. You can read Olga Orraca here, and Pedro Julio Serrano here.

However, this is why the LG groups and LGBT community in Puerto Rico has failed to consolidate as a voting bloc and become a political force. Partisan politics in Puerto Rico has swallowed our reason, our integrity and like every other enabler, forces us every day to act, argue and negotiate against our own interests both collectively and individually.

I want the elections to be over. Elections are designed to make me fully understand how much I do not belong. Worse, I get the overpowering feeling that I will never belong!

It is always the same pattern with electoral campaigns. Candidates and parties start by telling us they really feel our pain, and want to fight for us. Then the issues that the election must address start to be pondered, identified, and, defined. For a short time in the electoral campaign you think these issues will be debated. However, soon after, it all comes down to having to watch how spineless candidates, grovel, trying to re-present and re-create themselves parading their ever-so-wholesome families to proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that they are 300% American. Whatever the fuck “American” means…it is made very clear that it is not me, that it will never be me.

So…here is a list of reasons electoral processes tell me how Un-American I am (Sorry I could not contain this list to a mere 10):

1.      I am an atheist. Apparently it does not matter my commitment and desire to make this country a better place for all. Loyalty is a mandate to worship a disaffected, warmonger, punitive, sexually repressed and sexually obsessed god.

2.      I am a Leftist.

3.      I belief we should actively and robustly pursue social justice. I believe this country should ask, and be told by its citizens what to do for its citizens (Yeah, screw JFK).

4.      Same set of rules for all citizens, all citizens first-class citizens, regardless of buying power, age, sex, language, ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability, religious or non-religious background, political or lack of political affiliation or gender representation.

5.      I believe poor people matter, you must talk about the poor and your plan to end poverty during your campaign.

6.      I do not hate immigrants and believe there must be a path to citizenship that is just and fair to all.

7.      I believe in a big government that will actively and loyally protect me from: Greedy Health insurers, Corrupt Banks, discriminatory and oppressive lending practices, exploitative employers, polluters, gentrifying and unscrupulous, real estate scalpers and the police.

8.      I believe in free Universal Single Payer Health Care and free education including Graduate School.

9.      I value education and deplore anti-intellectual rhetoric.

10.  I have contempt for mediocrity.

11.  I believe in a small government that will be out of my personal life, will stop spying on me and will not regulate my every day activities. From forbidding dance outdoors, to closing parks at night, to having a beer on a sidewalk! From entrapping people to criminalizing sex work, from telling me who to date and who I can marry (and divorce!), to telling me whether I can adopt or not.

12.  I oppose the Death penalty and oppose torture of prisoners, including prisoners of war.

13.  I am not a warmonger and I believe it is OK to question and criticize a president’s decision to go to war.

14.  I believe citizens have a right to organize and participate in the political life of the country.

15.  I believe all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.

16.  I believe men should be able to marry men and women should be able to marry women, even if they never have to visit one another in a hospital!

17.  I greatly enjoy having non-marital, non-procreational sex in many different positions.

18.  I live and thrive in a big city.

19.  I do not feel more threatened by Muslims than by Christians.

20. I am a feminist

21. I am Latino

22. I am queer

23.  I donate and ask you to donate to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.