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.

On September 30, 2008, I went to Rutgers University in New Jersey, to attend my dear friend Chaco’s defense of his Doctoral dissertation:

Getting Life in 2 Worlds:
Prevention and Power in the New York City House Ball Community

In discussing his dissertation Rivera-Colón pointed out that in looking at the whole of his investigation, he realized that among other achievements, his work ultimately, is a narrative of the “failure of the Gay and Lesbian Liberation Movement of the 70’s to incorporate Black and Latino people.”

His Dissertation Committee Comprised by, Louisa Schien, thesis chair, Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Peter Guarnaccia, Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Ecology and Investigator at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research; Ana Yolanda Ramos-Zayas, Associate Professor in the Departments of Anthropology and Latino & Hispanic Caribbean Studies; and, Carlos U. Decena, Assistant Professor, Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Carlos U. Decena, another Latino scholar whose important and ground breaking contributions to theory are on my watch, described the last Chapter of the dissertation (on the renowned film: Paris Is Burning,) as a “gift” every person in the committee agreed and encouraged for its publication.

Trough his work, advise and discussions I learned to see the House Balls in NYC on a complete different light. Chaco’s ability to apply complex theories to his observations of the House Balls and his talent to explain them in lay words to me. allowed me to have a better, enhanced understanding of the House Balls and continue to have fun watching them. Watching Paris Is Burning again after beneffiting from his insight was amazing!

As a Latino anthropologist with expertise in HIV prevention among queer communities of color, I am sure Edgar’s work will continue to contribute to this field.

Among those attending this occasion were Edgar’s sister Lilliam and her wife Elsa , Jason, long time friend, partner, support of Edgar. Below are some pictures of this event of which I was proud to attend. If you have Edgar’s e-mail please write to him to congratulate him, leave him a message here, or both.

I was perusing through Lady Bunny’s blog page, when I ran into the Ellen DeGeneres video addressing the murder of Lawrence King, 15 who was killed by a 16 year old classmate. I’ve seen the video in many other blog sites after that. I was genuinely touched by Ellen’s plea for all of us to “change the message” as well as for her important declaration, that neither Larry King, a 15 year old gender non-conforming adolescent (who self-identified as gay) nor herself, a 50 year old white gender non-conforming person are second class citizens. And, isn’t that what we all strive for? First Class Citizenship, not the other one(s). We know too well the differences. These differences are shoved in our faces most days of our lives. They are mainly shown to us through exclusions, exclusions from neighborhoods, exclusions from families, exclusions from peace, exclusions from better (or any) jobs, exclusion from political candidates’ speeches and national parties platforms, exclusion from the basic definition of human being. This list can go on, and on, and on.

But what is “the message” that must be changed? Or who is sending it? I propose the answer to this is very complex. Recently The Advocate tried to address the issue from a different perspective, wondering whether we, as a community (LGBT) are sending mixed messages. This effort, I am sure was as well intended as misguided, and has elicit several responses. However, I think is worthy to explore what messages our allies and we as a community are sending that may be supportive of the idea that gender non-conforming folks as well as trans folks are indeed second class citizens, therefore unworthy. This is where Senator Kennedy fits in this post. Senator Kennedy announced he will push ENDA in the senate without protections for trans or gender non-conforming folks. Bill Browning at The Bilerico Project asked the right question:

“George W has already said he’d veto the legislation. Today’s million dollar question? What’s the rush if it’s not going to make it into law to start with? Why alienate a large segment of the LGBT community? “

I propose that the issue of ENDA and the staunch opposition to include transgender protections from employment discrimination by some elected officials that we consider allies, as well as some LG groups indeed sends a message. It says to me that trans and gender non-conforming folks are indeed second class citizens even within their/our own communities.

The rift caused across our communities nationally as well as the angry tone (on both sides,) for or against gender expression protections in this legislation, contributes to an environment that may be more fertile for transphobes and their ilk, to act on their hate, or contempt of trans and gender non-conforming people. The opposition by congress to listen to a huge coalition of groups and individuals that demanded the restoration of protections to trans and gender nonconforming folks indeed sends the wrong message, it establishes a hierarchy, it shows who is disposable, it shows who we are willing to alienate.

We can make a list of groups we alienate, immigrants of color; people on the sex-work industry; homeless people, transgender people, poor people, and a common characteristic we will find is how much violence these groups face on a daily basis. The level of alienation from society and the lack of protections society extends to its first class citizens becomes evident as the violence becomes endemic to their being.

I am not saying Senator Kennedy, or Congressman Frank or even the Human Rights Campaign Fund, want this as a result of their dismissal of trans people. I am not saying that because of their unwillingness to stand up to trans phobia and gender expression discrimination, violence is inflicted on these groups. What I am saying is that every time a politician fails to stand up and include gender expression in a diversity curriculum in school, every time a politician says she/he does not “understand” this thing about gender expression, there is a message. Every time an executive director goes back in his words and refuses to use his/her organization’s resources to include transgender people and there is NO consequences, there is, again the message, loud and clear: Transgender people are expendable; we will not go the extra mile for them; we can lie to or betray them without serious consequences; these messages whether intended or not can contribute to the climate of intolerance against transgender individuals. I’ve seen some very angry letters demanding restoration of transgender protections to ENDA, I have also seen some very hateful letters opposing it. In such climate of intolerance, violence thrives. We should be aware of this.

p.s. For the record Cyborg Yoryie only supports a strong ENDA with protections for gender identity and expression included in the legislation.