Dancing for Gender Equality

Two guys (at least one of them is a porn star, I'm sure) dancing for gender equality. Apparently, there is an abundance of videos of girls dancing in their underwear on Youtube, but videos of men dancing in their underwear are almost instantly taken down.

These two good looking guys try to fight the system by dancing identically to two girls in another video - which conveniently pops up in the top right corner of the screen.

Have fun watching this one, although I don't recommend doing it at work!

Read more!

Question About A Latino Issue

Question: What do you think is a bigger issue for Latinos today - immigration, or education? Read more!

New Machete Trailer

This is pretty amazing - Robert Rodriguez and company released a special Cinco de Mayo trailer version of Machete - a fake trailer that was released with the double-feature Grindhouse a few years back. This updated version of the trailer includes the timely issue of Arizona's anti-immigration law. Watch it and never stop laughing - like me. Makes me prouder to be Mexican!



To view the original Machete trailer, click here. Read more!

The Gay Scene

Gay guys who say that they're not into the "gay scene" or that they prefer "straight-acting" guys really bother me. It has for a while now, and I always thought it was because I was offended - like I wouldn't qualify, or like they were slamming me. Luckily for my contemporaries and I, we live in a day and age where we can go to gay bars and not be harassed or mocked or even KILLED because we looked at someone the wrong way. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice from the generations before us, but we're there now.

Also, partial thanks should go to the women's movement, where it was demonstrated to people across the country that we are not simply our gender, and our gender should not limit us to what we can and cannot do. We live in an age where it is recognized that everyone has masculine AND feminine qualities, and that one on the wrong end of the spectrum does not invalidate all of the rest.

What I found really disturbs me about a gay man's resistance to the "gay scene" is how self-loathing it sounds. In a world where people get beat up and shot for being black, for being slow, for being GAY, its ridiculous to me to imagine how low their sense of self-worth is. I mean, we have gay pride marches and rainbow flags and all that good stuff, but when its all stripped away and we're asked to evaluate what it all means, it almost seems like Trig Palin at a McCain rally - they have no idea what they are doing there.

And they band together, too. These guys only seek out other "straight-acting" guys and glorify them, and reward their childish, ignorant behavior. Its a cycle that keeps them happy in their naiveté. And it'll continue to fester and to perpetuate as long as we, as a gay community, enable the world to pigeonhole us by doing it to ourselves in the first place.

Back in the day, the stereotype of the gay man had always been an effeminate, flamboyant interior designer who was too frilly to even have an asshole. We've come a long way from that, but to the other extreme - we want the world to recognize us as no different from any other man, which has hurt us in a completely new way. Only when we marry the dandy we once were with the stone clone we wish to be perceived as will we be the gay men we wish to become.

PS: I don't even know what the "gay scene" means. Anyone who is willing to funnel our multi-faceted gay culture into one lump is a straight up douchebag to me. Read more!

Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler VS. Dove Onslaught

I don't know if I've ever put this video on here, but if I have, it was a long long time ago. I love this video. It says so much about our perception of beauty, it speaks on consumerism, and all the while a fabulous disco beat plays in the background. Enjoy! I mean, come on - who doesn't love hot chicks puking on each other?



In contrast, I'd like to put up one of my favorite TV commercials of all time, which is only overshadowed by the fact that it is selling a product, just like the things it seems to argue against. I think its a brilliant deception.



It really makes you think. Read more!

Being Green Vs. Having Nice Teeth

Okay, so a major gripe I have with environmentalism is that all roads eventually lead us all towards having horrific teeth. And that is just something I cannot do.



For example, straws:



Straws are terrible for the environment because they are made of plastic and we tend to use them like they are political rights. Many of us are peeved when we are forced to drink something with ice in it without a straw, or when the option isn't simply there regardless of whether we want or need one at all. Cocktail straws are the worst - because bartenders, and douchebags who grab their own garnishes like they're at a salad bar, will often put more than one of the tiny suckers into their cocktail to promote a faster drinking rate. Fail.



I got into the habit of never taking or using a straw a few years ago, but I've realized that my tranny lifestyle has me drinking things that are terrible for my teeth - coffee, soda, and red wine, just to name a few. The way many people get around at least two of these teeth-staining beverages is by using a straw (although I have seen a few people sucking down pinot noir with straws, eek!). Now, straw-using is not something that I want to get into the habit of again, but it seems inevitable that if I want to save the last vestige of pearly white my canines have to offer, then I'm going to have to do a lot more than simply skipping out on my next Americano. A whole lifestyle change is in order.

According to the New York Times, Americans have worst teeth than they did a decade ago. I'd like to see how the power struggle between health care reform and Obama's promises of more green jobs will affect what my teeth look like in ten more years. Read more!

Electoral College Reform

Neil Freeman, an artist and urban planner, has come up with a cool and novel idea on how to reform the electoral college so that things are a bit more fair - he's redrawn the 50 states according to population, in order to limit or end overrepresentation of small states and under-representation of larger states. Its a pretty cool idea, but I doubt that we're anywhere close to doing anything like this.

Click here for a larger view - and to check out the cute new State names he's given. Read more!

World Wars in Comic Form

If you have trouble, like I do, keeping history stored in your brain because its already too cluttered with nonsensical information like elimination orders of already obsolete 2009 Vh1 reality love shows, then this is for you! Some history buff has put together two comics which are readable in 5 minutes (or 10, if you're a slow reader like me) detailing what happens in the two world wars, respectively.

Definitely worth the time. Picture this: next time you're at that intellectual social gathering and everyone is talking about Franz Ferdinand, you can add more to the conversation besides, "Yeah, they're a great band."


Click here for the full experience! Read more!

Gender Roles in Germany

This week, I helped Katja's grandparents build a fence around the perimeter of their backyard. Apparently, because of a never-ending feud between the people who own the properties, and the people who want to increase the touristic appeal of the location, properties need to be marked very clearly so there is no confusion.

Sascha and I drove up on Thursday morning and stayed until Friday afternoon, helping both days to measure out and install new posts and wire, while removing an old fence that marked an outdated boundary. However, what stood out to me the most about the whole implication of gender roles that I hadn't noticed in a very long time.

The first discernible gender element I noticed was an interior one - as I sawed our hammered or pulled and lifted, I realized how little manual labor I do in my every day life, whether it be at work or for my home, or my mother's home. Here I was, four thousand miles away, doing something I had never done before for people I'd known for less than a week. And its not that I didn't want to do it - it was more that I'd never thought I had the capacity to do things like that - to make things that are useful and helpful for people who can't do it by themselves.

Anyway, while the men worked away, Katja's grandmother worked inside. She was cleaning. She was sweeping. She was cooking. Not even a half hour into our work, she came out with a tray of sparkling apple juice and Coke. About two hours into our work, she announced that lunch was ready - a HOT lunch.

It was very impressive. I realized I hadn't been in a domestic gender role setting in a long time. All the families I spend time with are new families, or gay families, or families with single parents. But Katja's grandparents have been married for 54 years, and her grandfather still would blow her grandmother kisses, and they'd touch each other with affectionate usually reserved for newlyweds.

I don't know how much the love in their relationship depends upon their clearly designated gender roles. I guess there are lots of contributing factors, only one of them being gender roles, and another being potentially their mutual desire for adventure and activity. They go skiing every year. They bike. They go for "Nordic walks" along the beach every morning. However, I can't help but think that gender roles of some sort play into their love life some how. And maybe gender roles aren't such a bad thing.

I'm not saying that all women should cook and clean and all men should work outside. I'm not saying that at all. But maybe designating jobs for each partner that only he or she does could help the relationship maintain structure. If everyone can do everything, and does do everything, there is this lack of reliance and trust that can only be earned by someone always being designated a role.

I'm not sure. All I know is that I want to explore this topic, and maybe put it into effect in my next relationship. Maybe then it will last more than a year. Read more!

Come and Get Your "Gay Education" On!

A pretty good video that discusses the stereotypes, myths and beliefs regarding gay people. Pretty cool.

Read more!

Latinos on the Real World

Now, the Real World is supposed to be a character study of the psyche and relationships between seven (and more recently, eight) strangers chosen to live in a house together and be taped for several months. What is supposed to ensue is cultural and ideological conflict, and that's what the audience got for the first several seasons of the Real World. Towards the show's middle of its 23 season run, it began to lose that initial objective, and simply became a venue for binge drinking, incessant partying, and all other general douche-baggery. The characters ceased to be diverse and interesting, and the the show began to lose steam and a revolutionary and influential program.

However, lately, the show has made changes to who they cast, in an attempt to bring the show back to its ground-breaking and culturally diverse origins. Casting directors have also been instructed to seek out those that appear to be goal-oriented, which would bring more depth to their characters in a way that hadn't been seen in years.

Being Latino myself, I decided to look back at that past 8 seasons, seasons I remember watching and having some opinion or another on the character. How have Latinos on the Real World been portrayed or perceived from my perspective, and was it a good choice on MTV's part?

Willie
Real World: Philly



Willie was one of the two gay cast members on his season, and provided a shoulder to lean on to anyone who needed it. He was endearing in his quest for love, and because we all recognized him as the kid from "Ghostwriter." Although he was regarded as a "nice guy," I don't actually remember anything he did that was interesting or important. Its characters like this that make me think that I'd be way better on the Real World. There is a good way to be nice AND interesting, and Willie, unfortunately, could not find it.

Johanna
Real World: Austin



Her incessant reappearances on challenge shows aside, I actually kind of liked Johanna on her season of the Real World. She was this cute Peruvian from California who was studying at Columbia, and she got arrested mid-season for being intoxicated in public (or something alcohol-induced like that). In fact, its hard to reprimand her for her actions when everyone on this season of the Real World got arrested or beat up or black-out drunk at some point. I think she showed the fiery and fiercer side of Latinas that you stereotypically hear about in a new way. Because she was one of the most chased-after characters of any Real World season, Johanna demonstrated her ability to choose and have power, and she was cool because of that.

Jose
Real World: Key West



Although he was goal-oriented and an all-around good guy, Jose failed to be of interest to anyone in his cast, let alone anyone watching the show. His ability to pick himself up and become a realtor at such a young age despite hardship makes him different from the stereotypes of Latino men, which was a redeeming quality. However, being invisible for most of the show's duration, his impact was a lot less than it could have been. We need to see more of Jose popping up on challenge shows in order to actually understand what a key figure he could be for Latino men everywhere.

Jenn
Real World: Denver



With Jenn's propensity to fuck up her eyebrows and mostly destroy brain cells on the Real World: Denver, I firmly believe that if she continued on the path she was taking, she would eventually destroy the world. Jenn represented everything that producers of the Real World have been trying to change with their most recent seasons - namely, the alcohol-chugging, panty-dropping joviality of thirteen year olds given a cocktail for the first time. Although I did like her on her season, she didn't do much for representing Latinos on TV, and instead blended herself in with the likes of Brooke and Colie, who were both sorority girls with nothing on their hands but drugs to take and alcohol to drink. I guess homogeny is a good thing?

Shauvon
Real World: Sydney



Shauvon was likable for the most part. She had a brief romantic stint with roommate Isaac, before turning into an angry drunk, throwing a drink at his head, and then proceeding to retreat home back to her ex-boyfriend, who only broke up with her because she was going to go on the Real World. Huh? That doesn't sound like a strong Latina to me! A strong Latina would have stuck up for her decision, told her boyfriend to suck it, and maybe would have taken to tap or ballet or something. Screw you, Shauvon!

JD
Real World: Brooklyn



Oh, JD - crouching asshole, hidden douchebag. Behind those adorably good looks, you have someone who is not only undeniably judgmental (at least, to the cameras), but also the first to say that he wants to "take care of people." How self-righteous can you get? On the Real World, when someone shows over-confidence and self-righteousness, it can only mean that they are terribly insecure, and JD proved to be the exception to the rule. I don't think there is a dose of insecurity in JD's body - which, when mixed with his self-righteousness, can only make him completely unlikable.

Ayiiia
Real World: Cancun



Where did they find this fucked up gem of a television personality? Ayiiia started off as cute and cuddly, turning into a flesh-eating demon from California with the first drop of alcohol and slightest hint of aggression aimed at her. What was admirable about her was that she always went for the kill when it came to fighting - she'd pick the proverbial balls of your insecurity, and kick them as hard as she could. Towards the end, there were some redeeming qualities that surfaced, but where Johanna left off on the "feisty Latina" stereotype Ayiiia finished it off - and then kicked that in the balls, too. I guess that means I liked her?

Derek
Real World: Cancun



Derek, Ayiiia's roommate in Cancun, was certainly my favorite Latino character from the Real World series. An over-achieving teacher's pet and grandma's boy, he not only warmed my heart but froze it over when I found out he was a gay Mexican server from Arizona (there go my chances of being on the Real World, Derek. Thanks). On his season, he was opinionated and strong, yet always attempted to bring everyone together, and never failed to be there for those who needed it the most, even when his feelings towards them were somewhat unclear. He never failed to name-drop his Mexican heritage in nearly every episode, and he made his goals of becoming a physician's assistant quite clear. I just hope we see him on some challenge shows so that we don't forget about him! Read more!

An Open Letter To Straight People Who Get Married

Dear Straight People Who Get Married:

I get the fact that you're "in love" (whatever that is supposed to mean). I get the fact that you want to spend the rest of your lives together (good luck). I get the fact that you have found each other and want the whole world to know it, and I get the fact that you want to reap in the benefits that are afforded to people who get married. I get it.

I've shaken your hands, patted your backs, told you "congratulations" more times than I'm actually proud to admit. I've purchased gifts, served you cocktails, raised a champagne fluke to you and proposed toasts in your honor. And each time I did, I did because I cared for you, and because I was happy that you were happy. Each time I did, it was sincere and done out of love rather than spite or anger or shame for my country.

In a world where globalization is more certain than ever and where networking sites like Facebook are becoming essential elements of socialization, its easy to forget the pains of minorities and the struggling class. Documenting and photographing everything has become so ordinary that many fail to see the parallels between their small celebrations and other's ongoing deprivation.

So, in an open letter to straight people who get married: knowing you are getting married is enough for me to be happy for you. When you start plastering your photographs all over Myspace and start changing your names and relationship status on Facebook, it starts to really grind my nerves.

And its not because I'm jealous, because that should be a given. Its because I'm peeved that you have the audacity to shove the rights that are handed to you like a heterosexual family heirloom down the throats of people you call your friends, your family, when they don't have those same rights. When they have to fight for those same rights. When they have to fight for those same rights, and most of the time lose.

I know a couple who refuse to get married until everyone in the country has the right to marry whomever they choose. I think that is admirable, but I don't think that everyone should be like them. I understand why people get married, and, like I said before, I sincerely wish those who get married nothing but the best. I just don't understand how people who get married can be so insensitive to the timely subject of second-class citizenship amongst their kith and kin.

If I ever am allowed to get married, I'd want you to come to my wedding, so I do hope this does not offend you. Hell, I'm not even sure if I want to get married, should the opportunity with the right man present itself. But I'd like to be able to have a choice is what it all boils down to. I want to be able to marry a Vegas stripper at four in the morning in a drunken roofied stupor just like a heterosexual can. Until the day comes when I can, I'll continue to judge you and your wedding photos, and count down the days until your divorce.

Just kidding. Read more!

Obama Blow-Up Doll

Now I've seen it all! Poor Barack. If you think his policies and legislation is screwing us over, now you can screw him over in return. Yuck.

I wonder if there were ever blow-up dolls for previous presidents, or their respective First Ladies?

Not that I'd ever consider buying one, but I wonder how much they go for....

Read more!

If You're Not Safe Here...

So much for "Sanctuary City" - within the past month, three cases of Latinos being kidnapped have been documented in the Mission District of San Francisco. The individuals were all set free after they were robbed, although some did have to go to the hospital to treat wounds received in the ordeals. Many speculate that they are targeted because illegal immigrants tend to travel with cash, and because of their fear of reporting crime to local authorities. However, the most recent case has gained media attention, in which a 27-year-old Latino male was picked up at 20th and Bryant streets, forced into the car and ordered to hand over all his money. When he refused, he was hit over the head with a blunt object and then dumped off at 25th and Vermont streets.

If you're not safe in San Francisco, where ARE you safe? Read more!

Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor

Who is she? Watch this short clip below to find out.

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The Pope Supports Palestine

"Whuut ... that's retauded." Its hard to believe such a conservative figure supports a free Palestine, separate from Israel. This makes me hate him a lot less.

Read more!

Same Sex Marriage Music Video

Check it out - pretty great, plus the guys are cute! Ugh, another shoutout the Amar.

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Family Prayers

Jay and Bryan are a gay couple living in northern California with their son Danile and daughter Selena. Jay and Bryan have been together for 13 years. Jay is an Iraq veteran and a police officer, and Bryan is a stay-at-home dad. They released these home videos, showing private, intimate events in order to protest Prop 8 after it passed, giving insight to the rest of the world regarding same-sex couples and their families.

This video is one of my favorites, showing prayer time. Check out the rest of their videos - I'm in love with this family.

Read more!

Thoughts of the Day

So, yesterday in my population geography class, my professor asked us all why we thought that immigration wasn't a major topic in the debate. We went over every possible answer, each of which was struck down - no one cared, too many people cared, not enough involvement, too controversial ... but what we wound up with really blew my mind.

McCain and Obama were so fundamentally alike on the topic that it pretty much generated a stalemate - the debate between each other's proposed ideas would have been a short one, and it was. Because they were so alike, it really made other issues stand out above others. The dramatic increase in illegal immigrants, and the resurgence of racism across national borders, along with a new movement to get those people legalized, ultimately made both candidates neutral on the topic. It was TOO BIG of an issue. This is exciting and a little sad, too.

I always felt like Obama was hiding his real agenda because he wanted to win, and rightfully so - ninety five percent of the time, he voted along his party line, which made him one of the most liberal senators ever. Its hard to think that he would throw away all those ideals because he was president. I think that he hid them just to BECOME president.

Hopefully, he'll be more progressive when it comes to immigration reform in the future. With his first hundred days up, I think its time we started to see him step it up on this front, nonetheless. Read more!

The Real Heroes?

Dulce Pinzón is an artist in New York City who's latest series on immigrants, dressed as superhoes, is drawing lots of attention. By fitting the immigrants in super-garb, he is attempting to show the strength and the power they have, as individuals and collectively. Not only do they work the jobs no one else wants to, but they invest in our economy, and also still find ways to send money home.









To see more of Dulce Pinzón's work, click here. Read more!