#latinx theatre

[hyperesthesias]

Why haven't I seen a damn thing about Blue Beetle on my dash? That movie was fucking amazing.

[harveyguillensource]

Harvey's photoshoot with Mike Ruiz for Photobook Magazine has been published, along with a short interview covering his career and ambitions! Read a few of his responses below:

You have become somewhat of a trailblazer for what is possible for queer, Latinx actors. Who are your biggest role models and inspirations when it comes to performing? My on-screen role models were pretty limited. I found inspiration in watching Cantinflas, a Latino comedian, with my dad. Watching people like Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas represent Latinos on the big screen helped keep me hopeful. I’m happy to report that I’ve worked with both of them. From “What We Do in the Shadows,” to “The Magicians,” there is a slight recurring theme of supernatural or fantasy. What draws you to these types of projects and roles? In both 'The Magicians' and 'Shadows,' anything is possible. I love the idea that there are no limitations on where our characters can go, so I’ve always been drawn to that. I was never specifically seeking to be in these particular genres, but I’m so happy to be a part of them. In addition to on the screen, you have an extensive portfolio of voice acting credits. How does working behind a microphone compare to working on the camera? Doing voice-over has been such a wonderful experience. I didn’t really start doing V.O. work until the pandemic. It’s a tough door to get through. The pandemic brought these opportunities to me. It was the only work that I was able to do safely at the time. Since then, my portfolio has doubled in voice-over work. All the characters I get to play are so different from each other. I get so excited when people come up to me and mention they're fans of a character I voice. Either voice acting, on camera, or on the stage, are there any dream roles you would love to play? As a musical theatre kid, I’d obviously love to do Broadway. I’d also really love to host SNL one day. In addition to acting, you're also involved in advocacy work, particularly in the LGBTQ+ field. What inspires you to use your voice and platform for good? I try to use my platform to help anyone that I can, especially those in the LGBTQ+ and Latino community. For so long, I didn’t see anyone advocating for someone like me so I do the best I can to amplify their voices while bringing awareness to those communities. With “What We Do in the Shadows” heading into its sixth and final season, what’s next for you? Anything fans should look forward to? We’re about to wrap in two weeks from the time this interview is published. That being said, it’s bittersweet. We recently said goodbye to our exterior set, and it was really emotional. I committed to this character for half a decade, which is no small task. It’s become such a big part of my life, and I’m thankful for all the lives we’ve touched through comedy. Season 6 will air later this year. I’ll have projects like “Companion” and “Garfield” out this year as well as a couple others. I’m excited to see what’s next!

[ofmdrecaps]

10/06-07/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; Anapela Polataivao; David Fane; Guz Khan; Kristian Nairn & Nathan Foad; Vico Ortiz; Minnie Driver; Boris McGiver; Fan Spotlight: Never Left Podcast; Gay Pirate News Hour; Love Notes; Hey Crew, I mentioned it on twitter, but forgot to here.. I came down with something and am dealing with some grumpy migraines on top of normal life, so everything is behind again. I'll be getting a couple days out at a time over the next few days. I promise to catch up!

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys and the fam out at Medieval Times!

Source: Rosie's IG stories

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika out in Wellington!

Source: Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba is out sharing so much love for Anapela and Kristian! Also-- Advanced Chemistry is out on digital now! Check it out on VUDU, or Amazon, Apple TV, whatever you prefer!

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

Oh yeah, and Samba did an awesome stand up show recently!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samba Schutte (@sambaschutte)

Source: Samba's Instagram

== David Fane ==

Moana 2 is coming out November 27 to theatres! Are you ready to hear David Fane and Rachel House?

Source: David Fane's Instagram

== Anapela Polataivao ==

So many more videos have been posted interviewing our beloved Auntie and the team at the Tina premiere at the HIFF! Check them out!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @tinathefilm

Source: Tina Film Instagram

== Kristian Nairn / Nathan Foad ==

Nathan promising some shenanigans at Kristian's Book Panel at MCM Comic Con London on Oct 27!

Source: Nathan's Instagram Stories

A new episode of Spektrum is out! Check it out on SoundCloud!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico's been so busy! They finally got Kristian's book though!

Jasmine Is Haunted-- a book Vico did the audio version of, they found out in the wild! Still on my list to listen to!

Lots of pictures of Vico out at LatinX New Play Festival 2024!

Source: LajollaPlayhouse / Vico Ortiz Instagram

== Guz Khan ==

Source: Guz Khan's Instagram Stories

== Minnie Driver ==

Minnie's joining Kirsty Young for an episode of Young Again!

Minnie also out promoting her friends shirt company!

Source: Minnie Drivers Instagram Stories

== Boris McGiver ==

In case you were looking for another spooky show for your October viewing pleasure, the Horror/Thriller King, Stephen King has endorsed our Father Bonnet's new show Teacup! Check it out on Peacock Oct 10th!

Source: Boris McGiver's Instagram

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Never Left Podcast =

The Never Left Podcast folks are talking with some of the creators of Samba's new movie Advanced Chemistry! Check it out! Never Left Podcast Linktr.ee

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

= Gay Pirate News Hour =

New episode of Gay Pirate News Hour! Hosted by Our Flag Means Fanfiction! Check it out below!

Source: OFMFF youtube

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! I know the Hurricane hit FL yesterday and I'm really hoping all of you are okay. Please be sure to reach out to your crew if you need something ,ya? As a heads up, I'm gonna get into some real talk tonight, so please bear with me. I have heard some stuff lately about how not everyone is redeemable, and not everyone deserves a second chance, and I thought this would be a good time to mention some things that have been on my mind about said subject. Every single one of us is human. Good people make mistakes, good people do things out of good intentions that go badly, seemingly bad people do good things occasionally, and people who generally seem neutral can fuck up. This world is not black and white, and I know our trauma has taught us over and over and over that it is. The world is a big grey goopy lump of clay and every single situation, no matter how similar, is different from the one before. Don't get me wrong-- I'm not saying, don't have boundaries. I'm absolutely not saying "forgive" someone who has done some horrible shit to you or has hurt you over and over. What I'm saying is-- every single person has a unique experience that causes them to make decisions based off of knowledge limited by their experience, or the experiences of the people they know. Now why is that important? That means people can change with new information, or when treated differently. I'm gonna use our show as an example-- did the Queen Anne and Revenge crew think pirating was their only option? Yes. (Was that true? Yes, for them because of class, race issues, etc but that's a talk for another time). They believed there was only one way to do things, and no other options were out there because there were never other options presented to them. Stede offered a different perspective. Now there's A MILLION caveats and complex situations, and things, but my point is-- "irredeemable people" out there sometimes don't know any different, and if one group continues to try to explain one thing to them, and it doesn't get through-- that doesn't necessarily mean they are choosing not to change their mind. It might mean that the perspective isn't clicking for them. Another person, maybe with similar trauma, maybe with different life experiences so drastically different can explain something in a way that opens the eyes of someone that others haven't been able to. The point I'm trying to make here is--- YOU are not irredeemable. YOU are worthy of forgiveness for mistakes you've made. YOU are not the same person you were 10 years ago, or a month ago, or yesterday. Your neighbors, your friends, your family, your moots, your acquaintances on the internet, no one is the same as they were yesterday. Some people may never be in a place where they can forgive you for something-- but THAT DOESNT MEAN YOU are irredeemable or unforgivable. People clash, and we don't have to be loved and forgiven by everyone to be valid. We can choose to do better, and even if that doing better never reaches the person/event who triggered the change, that doesn't make YOU any less of a better person. That doesn't mean YOU didn't improve. It means they can't forgive you for their own reasons-- and your happiness and worth shouldn't be based on that. You are so much more than your past actions lovelies. Please remember that. Please remember that tomorrow is not written in stone. You are wonderful, and you are trying your best and that's all anyone can ask of you. Please remember that we love you crew. We care about you-- and we all do things we don't mean to. It doesn't make us unloveable, it makes us human.

Be kind to yourself if you can, and get some rest <3. Sending so much love your way.

[glauconaryue]

Poster is out for our upcomming play!

A piece of Latinx trans history through absurd theatre and Catholic drag. There will be big reveals, karaoke, video game graphics and great sacraments! Save the date for September 27th or 28th in Kulturraum 405, Cologne-Ehrenfeld.

[bumblebeeappletree]

In 1969, the Latino students of Crystal City, TX, staged a school walkout that sparked a revolution and changed history. The story inspired the play “Crystal City 1969” by Latinx theater company, Cara Mía Theatre.

Dulé Hill arrives in Dallas, Texas to learn more about the Cara Mía Theatre production, “Crystal City 1969.” The play was inspired by events that took place in the town of Crystal City, Texas in 1969. At that time, the town had a majority Chicano population, yet public school students faced discrimination in class, and were corporally punished for speaking Spanish. One of the students, Severita Lara, was beaten and suspended for passing out leaflets about Latino students’ unfair treatment. Meanwhile, the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO), began organizing school protests across the country in the spirit of civil rights. José Angel Gutiérrez, born and raised in Crystal City, was sent back to his hometown by MAYO to organize the students for protest.

The students’ activism sparked a revolution in Crystal City, and changed the political landscape in the town. They organized a school walkout that called for the right to speak Spanish, along with 17 other demands for equality and fairness. The students’ activism eventually brought them to Washington, DC, and inspired more Latinos to run for city government and the school board in Crystal City. In the end, all the students’ demands were met in a sweeping victory.

[mayra-quijotescx]

Hey, if you want to watch a three-hour perpetrator-focused rumination on the Manhattan Project, you could go to see Oppenheimer in theatres (if that's how you want to live your life), but I'd ask you to consider sparing yourself the ticket/concessions expenses and the potential COVID exposure and instead watch the 2008 Metropolitan Opera screening of Doctor Atomic, which can be streamed here in full until 07/27/23.

There's a short intro by Susan Graham ahead of each of the two acts; I found them a bit obsequious, but due to the format in which the streaming is available, they're easily skippable. * content warnings: 1940's era-typical racism, verbal and visual allusions to both the US genocides against Indigenous people and its obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, blink-and-you-miss-it reference to the conscious decision made by the US Armed Forces to not evacuate the civilians living in the area near Los Alamos because the confidentiality of the test was valued over the lives and health of Indigenous and Latinx communities. I also can't speak to the cultural accuracy of the dress worn by the Indigenous ensemble members, but the costume designer names in the credits sure looked white at first glance. My attempts to find any critiques of the performance written by Indigenous people came up miserably short.

There is a flashing light accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream at the end of Act II; if you have photosensitivity, the timestamp to close your eyes for is at 6:55 in "Act II: Zero minus two minutes," or after the final "AHHHHHHHHH!" held by the chorus after everyone has their protective lenses up, then after the music dies out and begins to build up again. Count out five seconds in your head (ten if you're going by landmarks and not timestamps, it's tricky to keep the progress bar up) and then you should be good.

[hellomynameisbisexual]

It is 2018 and I am sitting in the Neptune Theatre, Halifax, Canada. I’m watching the Canadian premiere of the musical theatre adaptation of The Color Purple directed by Kimberley Rampersad—the first time the show has been directed by a black woman. It is also the first-ever positive representation of my own sexuality that I have been able to witness in the form that I have spent almost two decades studying, researching, and writing about: musical theatre. As I watch the character of Shrug Avery (Karen Burthwright) delight in the fluidity of her own sexual desire, a desire above and beyond gender, it feels like a space has been made. I’m crying but it’s complicated. Joy? Sadness? Recognition?

I am writing from the perspective of a bisexual+ cis-gendered white British woman, so it is important to note the many kinds of privilege that shape the experiences I am talking about, especially when addressing this musical. The Color Purple (2005) is especially important in the space it makes for PoC, and women of color. This has been written about both in reference to the musical (Edney; Lovelock) and the novel (Bealer), and by Alice Walker herself. For me, it is the first time I have seen what it is to be bisexual on a stage, while I recognize this musical does many more important things than that in connection to race and sexuality. Its powerful story makes ripples.

***

In June 2000, about a month after I finished my secondary education in a small school in mid-Wales, the infamous “Section 28” (a British law that banned the “promotion” of homosexuality, introduced by Margaret Thatcher in 1988) was repealed, first in Scotland and three years later in the rest of the UK. I would like to say I remember this event, but I don’t. If I even knew about it at the time, it would have been because my parents’ copy of the Daily Mail was “Cross and Appalled.” It was almost always cross and/or appalled, though, so it doesn’t stick out in my memory. I don’t even remember when I first heard the word bisexuality. It certainly wouldn’t have been at school, because Section 28 had made it illegal for schools to discuss LGBTQ+ lifestyles, as it would risk promoting them. The teaching of the “acceptability of homosexuality” was explicitly forbidden by Section 28 from 1988 to 2000, while bisexuality was not even mentioned (UK Local Government Act 1988).

Even in my early twenties, when I joined a dating site and ticked the box “interested in men and women,” I still didn’t really identify as bisexual because I don’t think I even understood that was ever an option for me. Bisexuals were the people who hadn’t made up their minds . . . right? And then to cap it all off, I fell in love with a man who I married within a year of meeting, so I had to hand in my badge of not quite knowing how I fitted in. Some fifteen years later I am still married to him, and my relationship has given me huge amounts of privilege (we could get married; when and if I’d have fallen in love with a woman at the same time we would have to have waited until

2014 to do the same; if I’d have fallen in love with a nonbinary person, we still could not in a way that recognized both of our gender identities). But despite these many privileges that I have clearly benefited from, my innate queerness did not simply go away.

***

Late June 2016. I am at the Circle in the Square Theatre, New York City, watching Beth Malone and Michael Cerveris in Fun Home play the characters of Alison Bechdel and her father in a car. The mass murder at Pulse Nightclub, an LGBTQ+ hate crime targeted at the Latinx community, had taken place on June 12th. Everything hangs heavy in the air. That week I had stood behind a cordon, watching the Pride march being led by elders in the community, carrying photographs of the forty-nine victims. Like many of the queer people in the audience of Fun Home, I cried, heaving sobs. When the house lights come back on the theatre is full of red-eyed people who get it, nodding in encouragement.

***

It is September 2016 and I now try to acknowledge my queerness in front of students when studying representations of sexuality in musical theatre. I hear myself say, “I’m speaking as a bisexual woman.” After one of these classes a student excitedly approaches me and says, “You’re the first ever bi grown-up I’ve ever met in real life!” All of this matters and it keeps mattering. I was encouraged by a colleague, a lecturer who as a gay man advocates for LGBTQ+ student experiences. At the LGBTQ+ research group that he runs, I heard depressingly similar school experiences from students finishing school twenty years after I did, and after the end of Section 28. There are some more positive ones, but with the difference that these undergraduates know the word bisexuality in a way I did not in 2000.

Each time I repeated the words, I became more convinced that not only is being bisexual part of my identity, but more importantly, being out as a bisexual could be a positive experience for all my students, and especially my LGBTQ+ ones. To be clear, bisexuality+ is used as an overarching term for a group of named descriptions that people may use to communicate their identity—one of the most used of these terms is pansexual. All of these terms suggest a person who is attracted to people of more than one gender—a person who is in effect not monosexual (attracted to one gender). While people may use bisexual or pansexual to best identify their own sexuality, bisexuality+ as a theoretical concept is a useful tool proposed by Surya Monro to employ the word bisexual as a “strategic move that overlooks the binary composition of the word” (2).

In the UK, the Office of National Statistics found that people ages 16–24 are more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual than any other age group (4.4 percent against a national average of 2.2 percent): within that subsection a larger group identify as bisexual rather than specifically gay or lesbian. In my own age bracket, only 0.6 percent of people identify as bisexual (ages 35–49).

Despite what is a growing identification with bisexuality+ to name our sexual identities, myths and misconceptions about bisexuality continue to shape how the “B” in the LGBTQ+ identities are represented in popular culture. Bisexuals are confused, “halfway to gay,” promiscuous, greedy. . . . I mean, some of us might be, I can’t be left alone with a selection box. But chocolates are not people.

Invisible Bisexuality in Musicals from 2000 to 2020

While all LGBTQ+ people suffer from “minority stress” (Meyer), bisexuals have a uniquely poor experience because they are the target of distrust from both the heterosexual and homosexual

communities (Brewster and Moradi). One major Australian study notes the widespread and “con- sistent evidence that bisexual people have poorer mental health than heterosexual people, gay men or lesbians” (Taylor et al.); this also has been addressed in terms of intersectional oppressions (Dyar et al.). The invisibility of bisexuality in popular culture has very real consequences to an oppressed community.

Maria San Filipo, in her important study of representations of bisexuality in popular culture, argues that it is “both visible and invisible . . . due to the slippage between its representational pervasiveness and the alternating measures of tacit acceptance, disidentification, or disavowal that render bisexuality discursively un(der)spoken” (4). Mainstream musicals—that is to say, Broadway and West End commercially orientated musicals—have tended to minimize bisexual content even in material that openly acknowledges bisexual desire. Just as Steven Spielberg’s movie adaptation of The Color Purple (1985) removes the bisexual utopian possibility from Walker’s 1982 novel, several productions of the musical since its 2005 premiere have emphasized the relationship between Shrug and Celie as that of sisters. Bisexuality is, to borrow from San Filipo, rendered “underspoken” (ibid.).

The removal of bisexual desire is common in musicals, even in that contemporary behemoth, Hamilton (2015). Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton may not look or sound like the mega- musicals of the 1980s, but its success echoes the scale of the phenomenon of shows like Cats (1981) and Les Misérables (1985). Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography of its eponymous politician, the first treasurer of the United States and a prolific writer and thinker. The musical uses traditional Broadway storytelling to dramatize the struggle between two men, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, both trapped in personal and political rivalries. Hamilton owes a notable debt to Les Mis, since both shows tell epic stories about two men locked in a conflict that will only be resolved by the death of one of them. Just as in Les Mis where we see Valjean and Javert’s moral battle play out over the decades condensed into two acts, admittedly quite long ones, Hamilton traces the two men’s respective rise and fall over a thirty-year period. The main tension is not in the “will they/ won’t they” of a romance or sexual tension, but rather in the unfolding of their relationship that the audience already knows will end in disaster (fig. 1).

Fig. 1. “The Bisexual Flag and Alexander Hamilton.” (Source: © Mat Dalgleish.)

Of course, there is a straight love story in the musical—the marriage between Eliza Schuyler and Alexander, and his attachment to her sister, presented as his intellectual equal. However, there is another love story that is barely noticeable in the musical, albeit something that bisexual fan com- munities have responded to: namely, the physical and emotional attraction between Hamilton and his close friend and fellow aide-de-camp to George Washington, John Laurens. Their friendship is documented in letters that have been the focus of discussions about whether there ever was a roman- tic or sexual relationship between the two. Clearly, the idea of a bisexual character in this musical offers the tantalizing possibility of putting us in “The Room Where It Happens”—at the center of a Broadway musical. It is clearly ahistorical to suggest that such physical or emotional desire would have made a person identify as bisexual in the mid-eighteenth century. However, Hamilton as the character in the musical has been confirmed as bisexual by the author of the musical.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, its composer, lyricist, and performer, is a celebrity in his own right, with an extensive social media presence and around 3 million followers on Twitter––something he uses both for social activism and musical theatre nerdery. He is essentially a hero for musical theatre geeks everywhere. In 2015, when doing an impromptu Q&A with his followers while waiting at an airport for a connection, Miranda responded to a question about whether he thought Hamilton could have “maybe been bi” by replying, “Yeah. Read those letters man.” For bisexual people this is a complex feeling, because to be seen and at the same time not seen really hurts. Despite the throwaway nature of tweets in general, never mind tweets sent from airport lounges in one-off Q&As, the complete disregard of how it actually feels to be bisexual and constantly outside of the story is painful. The creator of a cultural phenomenon, which will be around for decades to come, says, “Yes, Hamilton was bisexual,” but that is not included in the musical itself. There is more to say here in the staging

of Laurens and Hamilton and the argument that it does show some kind of love story; however, this is something I am currently writing about at more length elsewhere (forthcoming). For now, I wanted to consider the stakes of erasure in comparison to musicals that do actually feature prominently bisexual characters, because it can feel easy to dismiss those who say “#representationmatters” as stereotypical keyboard activists. But to have the tantalizing possibility of being seen and understood in the form of theatre you love the most and for it not to happen . . . breaks my heart.

Problematic Representations

There are bisexuals in musical theatre, it’s just that many musicals have featured them through well-worn tropes about bisexuals. The dangerously detailed TvTropes lists a number of stereotypes around bisexuality that also appear in musicals, such as “Depraved Bisexuality” (the bisexual villain); “Anything that Moves” (the greedy bisexual); “Suddenly-Sexuality”; or perhaps the rarest trope, “Bi- the-Way” (a character whose bisexuality is incidental to the story).

Anything that Moves as a trope has underpinned many bisexual representations in musicals. While this might be an accurate representation for some bisexuals, we are not inherently non- monogamous and/or insatiable. It has also been used to imply that bisexuality is indicative of sexual impropriety––of a society or culture that does not have tight moral controls on who can have sex with whom. The character’s bisexuality only exists as a shorthand to communicate sexual excess.

Perhaps the most famous example of this is The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1973), which, through the genre of a sci-fi B-movie-style musical, presents a radical version of relaxed sexual behavior. Although in the musical Frank-N-Furter could be read as a “depraved bisexual,” it is worth bearing in mind that he is also an alien who gets vaporized by another alien at the end of the musical (namely, by Riff Raff). His desire for humans, specifically for the buttoned up all-American preppy inno- cents Janet and Brad, is part of the musical’s broader representation of sexual excess rather than any detailed representation of bisexuality. However, it is worth noting that Richard O’Brien, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics of the musical, identifies as bisexual, and has explained that he used the aliens purposefully to show the exclusion of non-heterosexual and heteronormative people (Jones).

Some productions of Cabaret (1966) have similarly used bisexuality to indicate times of sexual freedom: the musical is set in the last days of the Weimar Republic in Berlin. In all versions of the story, there is a character who acts as an audience conduit, the writer (originally Cliff and renamed Brian for the movie). He shows us into this simultaneously glamorous, depraved, and dangerous world. The author of the semi-autobiographical memoirs upon which the musical is based, Christo- pher Isherwood, was a gay man. However, in both the 1972 movie and the 1993 Broadway revival directed by Sam Mendes, the Cliff/Brian character is explicitly bisexual. Cliff’s importance to the overall story is fairly minimal, and reviewer Ben Brantley wrote that he “remains one of those artist- as-cipher characters that it’s hard to do much with.” Cabaret demonstrates the By-the-Way culture, again, rather than making bisexuality central to the plot.

In Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent (1994), the then-edgy cast of characters includes the Anything that Moves kind of bisexual, Maureen. She never explicitly identifies as bisexual; we are simply told that she has had many relationships with men and women. In fact, this is one of the first things we know about her, because we hear about it before we even meet her through the frustrations of her current girlfriend Joanne (Fredi Walker) and her ex-boyfriend Mark (Anthony Rapp). Together, they sing the “Tango: Maureen,” expressing jealous frustration at Maureen’s sexual antics, setting up our expectations for a character who is both an untrustworthy nightmare and a diva. We are told she cannot be content in a monogamous relationship; both Mark and Maureen complain about her cheating. When Maureen (Idina Menzel) does appear and sings about her relationship in “Take Me or Leave Me” (a duet with Joanne), she joyfully sings that she is who she is, attractive to both men and women. While bisexuality is not named, Maureen fulfills the trope of the greedy bisexual who will inevitably break the hearts of those who love her, because she is incapable of monogamy. Whether this is due to Maureen’s character or her sexuality is not exactly clear, although the fact that Maureen and Joanne are allowed a relationship in the 1994 musical is an important step forward.

Toward Positive Role Models and Better Representations?

Part of the problem is that showing multiple kinds of sexual desire either requires a direct mention in the plot, perhaps some kind of coming-out song, or the inclusion of sexual attraction to people of more than one gender in the story. The musical If/Then (2014) has the perfect structure for representing bisexuality in its “what-if ” story, which runs two simultaneous timelines in Elizabeth’s life (also played by Idina Menzel). In one timeline, the character of Lucas has a relationship with a woman, and in the other with a man. The casting calls to Rent, since Lucas is played by Anthony Rapp and Elizabeth by Menzel. Elizabeth is dismissive of Lucas’s sexuality, telling him that it is equivalent to being a political independent. However, Lucas does get to have loving relationships in both timelines, and he addresses his own bisexuality in “Some Other Me”: “I found myself a woman, or a man, and had a son.” Again, it is not perfect, but it is some kind of representation.

Being bisexual doesn’t mean that your love story is necessarily complicated or tragic. You don’t have to have had lots of relationships or even have had sex with people of other genders to qualify. To be representative, musicals do not have to portray some kind of tangled or torrid affair; they have to include bisexual characters as part of the story, and those characters should have believable inner lives. It should not be a throwaway joke either, as in Be More Chill’s (2015) final scenes, which makes bisexuality “the butt of the joke” (Clarke); or in Groundhog Day (2016), with Phil’s throwaway gag that he was so bored in his endless day in Punxsutawney that he slept one time with a guy.

There are more positive bisexual characters in contemporary television from the same period, but these roles can be limited. Meyer notes that bisexual women characters of color like Callie Tor- res (Grey’s Anatomy) and Anna Tagaro (One Tree Hill) “serve to stabilize heterosexuality and open discourse for White characters” (675). One important exception to this may be the sensitive way in which Brooklyn 99 worked with bisexual cast member Stephanie Beatriz, to show the character

she plays, Rosa Diaz, coming out as bi to her colleagues. Beatriz reflected that “the main thing for me was that the character said ‘bisexual’ and that she said it so many times” (qtd. in Jung). Bisexual characters, where their sexual identities are part though not all of their stories, are becoming more prominent in television; for example, Eleanor Shellstrop in The Good Place, Adam in Jane the Virgin, and Toni Topaz and Cheryl Blossom in Riverdale.

Television musicals have written inclusive bisexual stories, such as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015) including three bisexual characters, Maya, Valencia Perez, and Darryl Whitefeather. While Darryl does sing the fantastic coming out number “Getting Bi,” Maya mentions in passing during that song that she is also bisexual, and Valencia is seen in relationships with both men and women. Some musicals bridge this genre gap; for example, the YouTube and stage success Team Starkids, with Firebringer (2016), which features characters with sexually fluid desires.

In turn, stage musicals are shifting toward more accurate representations of bisexuality. Bare: A Musical (2012) reflects a teenage experience of sexuality and can be read as coming to terms with being bisexual through Jason’s song “Once Upon a Time” and “A Role of a Lifetime.” This is particularly notable because the potential bisexual reading is an addition, since the musical is a revi- sion of the earlier Bare: A Pop Opera (2000), in which Jason is closeted as gay but in a relationship with a woman. More recently, & Juliet (2019), currently in the West End, features François, who is pansexual, as a central character and love interest for Juliet, who has survived her escapades with Romeo. Writer Max Martin explained that “it was really important to me that our cast of characters reflect the diversity of the world around us as much as possible, and that included gender, age, body type, ethnicity, and sexual orientation” (qtd. in Connelly).

***

It is March 2020 and new musical theatre events are quickly being cancelled. Years of work are on pause for a while as the world’s arts scene is on lockdown and we all stay safe indoors at home. Last month, although it feels like a lifetime ago, my students performed at an LGBTQ+ concert at the University of Wolverhampton. Some of them sang their own work, as in the case of Abbie Cobden, who sang a song from a musical she is writing called “Give Me a Label” with music by James Lovelock. They have kindly agreed to share it here:

In a space where there were so few representations of bisexuality, much is changing quickly and queer stories are taking center stage. Importantly, many of these stories are about QPoC. Two new musicals in development of note include Interstate (forthcoming) by Kit Yan and Melissa Li, which features queer and trans characters, and Asian Pirate Musical (2020) by Nemo Martin and Zhui Ning Chang, with its queer space revolutionaries.

There are two bisexual and pan characters in the British musical The Phase, currently in devel- opment, by Meg McGrady and Zoe Elle Morris. It was meant to be shown at BEAM2020 but the event was cancelled because of Covid-19. You can learn about its development in this video of its song, “Sex Education.” Twenty years later, the song mentions that Section 28 is no longer in effect, adding, “but that doesn’t mean we don’t see its effects.” As new musicals tell better stories about the bisexual community, each moment of inclusion still matters and makes a space for the next.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Meg McGrady, Joe Geoghan, Abbie Cobden, James Lovelock, Nemo Martin, Mat Dalgleish, Emily Beaman, Joash Musundi, Kirsty Sedgman, and Emily Garside.

Works Cited

Bealer, Tracy L. “Making Hurston’s Heroine Her Own: Love and Womanist Resistance in The Color Purple.” Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Ed. Kheven LaGrone. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill/Rodopi, 2009. 23–42. Print.

Brantley, Ben. “Theater Review: Desperate Dance at Oblivion’s Brink.” New York Times. 20 Mar. 1998. Web. Brewster, Melanie E., and Bonnie Moradi. “Perceived Experiences of Anti-Bisexual Prejudice: Instrument

Development and Evaluation.” Journal of Counseling Psychology 57.4 (2010): 451–68. Print.

Clarke, David. “Musical Adaptation for ‘Be More Chill’ Is Fun, But Troubled.” Out. 13 Mar. 2019. Web.

Connelly, William J. “& Juliet Is Max Martin’s New Musical Boldly Giving Queer People a Voice.” Gay Times. 13 Nov. 2019. Web.

Dyar, C., et al. “Physical Health Disparities across Dimensions of Sexual Orientation, Race/Ethnicity, and Sex: Evidence for Increased Risk Among Bisexual Adults.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 48.1 (2018): 225–42. Print.

Edney, Kathryn. “Adapting and Integrating: The Color Purple as Broadway Musical.” Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Ed. Kheven LaGrone. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill/Rodopi, 2009. 225–47. Print.

Jones, M. F. “Richard O’Brien: Lucky Man.” Exeunt Magazine. 10 Jan. 2013. Web.

Jung, E. Alex. “Stephanie Beatriz’s Bisexual Awakening, Onscreen and Off.” Vulture. 21 May 2018. Web.

Lovelock, James. “'What about Love?': Claiming and Reclaiming LGBTQ+ Spaces in Twenty-First Century Musical Theatre.” Reframing the Musical: Race, Culture and Identity, edited by Sarah Whitfield, London: Red Globe Press, 2019, pp. 187–209. Print.

McGrady, Meg, and Zoe Elle Morris. “The Phase Musical: Our Journey to Beam 2020.” 27 Mar. 2020. Web.

Meyer, Ilan H. “Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence.” Psychological Bulletin 129.5 (2003): 674–97. Print.

Miranda, Lin-Manuel. “Yeah. Read Those Letters Man.” Twitter @lin_manuel. 26 May 2015. Web.

Monro, Surya. Bisexuality: Identities, Politics, and Theories. Genders and Sexualities in the Social Sciences. Palgrave, 2015. Print.

Office for National Statistics. “Sexual Orientation, UK 2018.” 3 June 2020. Web.

San Filippo, Maria. The B Word: Bisexuality in Contemporary Film and Television. Indiana University Press, 2013. Print.

Taylor, Julia; Power, Jennifer; Smith, Elizabeth; and Rathbone, Mark. “Bisexual Mental Health: Findings from the ‘Who I Am’ Study.” Australian Journal of General Practice, 48.3 (March 1, 2019): 138–44. https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-06-18-4615. Print.

Whitfield, Sarah K. “Putting Bisexuals in ‘The Room Where It Happens’: The Hamilton Fandom’s Fight for Bisexual+ Representation.” Theatre Fandom. Ed. Kirsty Sedgman (forthcoming 2021).

[greyeyedmonster-18]

(bestie @femme--de--lettres tagged me in a fandom celebration tag, and like them, i too have been absent and busy so here....are some things i can muster:

fandom related:

-i wrote my thing for candyhearts! i was honestly concerned i wasn't going to start it or finish it or even think of an idea but here we are

-forever celebrating new milestones for my fics. NMTW is almost at 30,000 hits??? ten reasons is almost at 40k, and the kudos keep coming. also my fic that shall not be named is past 700 kudos which is BAFFLING to me. so i celebrate that. forever so so grateful for everyone.

-ive actually gotten to read some spectacular fic this month and that deserves to be celebrated. though I'm not a rec blog, i might go around and do that

not fandom related:

-IVE STARTED FORMING MY COMMITTEE FOR MY BIG FUCKIN PAPER! I have an idea for what I'm doing!! and its going to be GREAT.

-my lorge babe is currently part of tech theatre and is designing sets for his schools spring musical and that deserves to be celebrated

-i made really good brownies this month

-i also have been trying to branch out of exclusively like latinx cuisine and latinx-american food and have been making a lot more curry and like...middle eastern inspired dishes? i made butter chickpeas the other day. and shawarma. going to try dolma sometime soon?? and idk that's exciting to me.)

[annjiru]

Talk about one of your favorite headcanons you posted this year!

End of year asks: RPC Edition!

out of all the headcanons i've written this year, my favorite has been the one where i talk about Angeal's biological father. you can read that headcanon here. it's something that's been long overdue to establish on this blog, as well as a headcanon that became a little personal to me given my own cultural heritage. eventually, i want to write a broader analysis/meta as to how honor tends to be inherently embedded in latinx masculinity theatre and family dynamics. i'm definitely looking forward to exploring Angeal's cultural background and family history more in the new year.

[swimmingclassicrockpizzawombat]

Odd confession: I'm terrified of going back to school and facing bullying once again.

Like, I had an anxiety attack this morning thinking of how now I'm wearing glasses and someone could break them just to be mean?

I know they are college kids but you don't get it. I actually had a convo with my brother the other day explaining a lot of these 18-20 year olds are emotionally stunted since they didn't get to go through normal High School during Covid so now they are living their "High School phase" in college?

Like, for example, I went to see the Beetlejucie tour the other day right? And as per traiditon I bough myself some merch like I do every time I've seen it. I have ADHD and as y'all know Beetlejuice is my hyperfixiation and comfort media.

And then I realized I am gonna get relentlessly bullied for liking Beetlejuice so much? And having a shit ton of Beetlejuice shit. A backpack, shirts, hoodie, pants, plushies, pins and now thermo & socks too.

I remember this one autistic kid in my major getting relentlessly made fun of and excluded for "liking Hadestown too much" and he did his best to graduate early to get away from them bc he got sick of all the childish bullying. So idk why the same wouldn't happen with me.

On the one hand I want to ignore them and keep around my Beetlejuice stuff because it brings my little ND brain JOY!!!

And like, we are ALL THEATRE KIDS so idk why liking musical theatre this much makes me a creep in their eyes? Or having hyperfixiations I can't help bc I'm ND.

But also I don't want to go through hell again and get excluded and called a rapist r*etarded freak :/

Also since I'm latinx I have an accent which means I sound "funny" and some have bullied me by calling me iliterate and r*tarded :c

(My fav is being called a "dirty mexican that's here to steal our jobs" by my now ex roommate 🙃)

I also remember being made fun of on my birthday last year bc I was "too old" to be in college (hence a loser and creep) and a "self centered narcissist" for even daring to mention it was my birthday when the professor asked what was new with me (a couple of classmates did get pissed off on my behalf for the mockery but the majority of them joined in)... and my birthday is this semester so I am afraid of what kinda BS i'mma have to face that day.

I also fear I'm not gonna get invited to any Halloween parties once again, and am planning to dress as either Star Lord (I want his leather coat so bad lol), Fizzarolli or Blitzø on the day to at least celebrate in my own little way (also an excuse to cosplay)... so maybe I am not helping in keeping them from thiking of me as a pathetic freak?

[amcsociety]

Brava Theatre presents “Jurassic Drag” by Obsessed International 5/20-21

Tix avail at www.jurassicdraglive.com

#JurassicDrag featuring Jurassic Dinosaurs of Drag World 😀 5/20-21 at @bravatheater #DragQueen #DragQueens #DragKween #dragkweens #DragShow #DragShiz #DragFossil #DragFossils #DragArt #DragUniversity #DragRace #DragPreHerstory #DragCreation #DragBigBang #DragGenesis #DragSchool #DragCulture #sfthtrs #dragsf #sfdrag #sanfranciscodragqueens #dragqueensinsf #dragqueensinsanfrancisco #dragmetothepolls #dragthevote #dragconvention #dragstoriches #dragbecomesher #dragtheatre feat @misscocoperu @misssherryvine @varlajeanmerman @jackiebeat

Roz

- Roz Hernandez, also known as Roz Drez, is a Puerto Rican drag queen and performer.

- She rose to fame after appearing on Season 12 of the reality TV show "RuPaul's Drag Race" in 2022.

- Hernandez is known for her stunning looks, sharp wit, and impressive dance skills.

- She has been a fixture in the New York City drag scene for years, performing at various clubs and events.

- Hernandez has also been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, particularly for Puerto Rican and Latinx representation in the drag world.

- She has been named one of the most influential Hispanic and Latinx people in the US by People en Español.

- Hernandez's drag style is a fusion of glamour, camp, and Latinx culture, often incorporating elements of salsa and reggaeton into her performances.

- She has also been a guest on various podcasts and TV shows, including "The View" and "Good Morning America".

Roz Hernandez is a talented and influential drag queen who has made a significant impact on the drag world and beyond. She continues to slay the game with her charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent!

Sherry

- *Sherry Vine is an American actor, drag queen, and musician*: Sherry Vine, born Keith Levy, has been performing as a drag queen since 1992.

- *Creator and host of the variety series "She's Living for This"*: Vine's show features raucous comedy, musical numbers, sketches and more, with a star-studded cast.

- *Known for parodies of popular songs*: Vine has parodied songs by Madonna, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Adele and Lady Gaga, among others.

- *Film and television appearances*: Vine has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including "RuPaul's Christmas Ball" and "Queens of Drag: NYC".

- *Performs at various venues*: Vine performs at venues like The Abbey and Precinct, and has an upcoming show called "Smoke & Mirrors" in various locations.

- *Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights*: Vine has spoken out against anti-LGBTQ+ laws and encourages others to defend themselves against discrimination.

Sherry Vine is a talented and influential figure in the drag world, known for her humor, talent and advocacy. She continues to perform and entertain audiences with her unique blend of comedy and music.

Varla

- *Early Career*: Varla Jean Merman is a character created by Jeff Roberson, who was inspired by Divine and John Waters movies. He began performing in drag in New Orleans in the late 1980s and moved to New York City in 1993 to pursue a career in drag.

- *Notable Performances*: Merman has performed in numerous stage shows, including "Girls Will Be Girls," "Lucky Guy," and "The Medium." She has also appeared on TV shows like "Project Runway" and "All My Children."

- *Awards*: Merman won the Best Actor Grand Jury Award at Outfest 2003 and "Best Actress" honors at the 2003 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and the 2003 Aspen HBO Film Festival for her role in "Girls Will Be Girls."

- *Drag Style*: Merman's drag style is known for being over-the-top, campy, and humorous. She often incorporates opera and classical music into her performances.

- *Inspiration*: Merman has cited Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine as inspirations for her character, as well as Divine and John Waters.

- *Impact*: Merman has been a pioneering figure in the drag scene, inspiring a new generation of drag performers. She has also been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has spoken out against drag bans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Merman's career spans over three decades, and she continues to perform and entertain audiences with her unique blend of humor, talent, and charisma.

Jackie

- *Decades of experience*: Jackie Beat is a drag performer with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry.

- *Hilarious song parodies*: Jackie Beat is known for her parodies of popular songs by artists like Britney Spears, Madonna, and Lady Gaga.

- *Comedy and TV appearances*: Jackie Beat has appeared on TV shows like "Sex and the City," "Adam & Steve," and "RuPaul's Drag U."

- *Music career*: Jackie Beat is the lead singer of the electro-rock band Dirty Sanchez and has released seven solo albums.

- *Awards and recognition*: Jackie Beat has received awards for her contributions to the drag community and has been recognized for her advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights.

- *Trailblazing career*: Jackie Beat has paved the way for future generations of drag performers and continues to inspire new artists.

- *International performances*: Jackie Beat has performed all over the world, from small clubs to large theaters, and has a devoted fan base.

- *Charity work*: Jackie Beat has participated in charity events and uses her platform to make a positive impact.

Jackie Beat is a renowned drag performer known for her comedic shows, parodies, and larger-than-life stage presence. With a career spanning over three decades, Jackie Beat has become an iconic figure in the world of drag and continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Coco

Coco Peru is a renowned American drag queen, actor, and comedian. Here are some highlights from her career:

- _Early days_: Coco Peru started her career in the 1980s, performing in gay clubs and bars in New York City.

- _Miss Coco Peru_: She was crowned Miss Coco Peru in 1991, a title she still uses today.

- _Drag queen icon_: Coco Peru has become an icon in the drag queen world, known for her wit, charm, and energetic performances.

- _TV and film appearances_: She has appeared on TV shows like "RuPaul's Drag U," "Drag Race," and "Will & Grace," as well as in films like "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" and "Trick."

- _Comedy career_: Coco Peru has also built a successful comedy career, performing stand-up and improvisational comedy.

- _Awards and recognition_: She has won several awards, including the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Series.

- _Tours and shows_: Coco Peru has toured extensively, performing her one-woman shows like "Coco Peru: A Legend in Her Own Mind" and "Coco Peru: She's Got Balls!"

- _Activism_: Coco Peru has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has performed at numerous benefits and charity events.

- _Legacy_: Coco Peru has inspired a generation of drag queens and performers, cementing her place as a legend in the drag world.

Throughout her career, Coco Peru has remained true to herself and her art, entertaining audiences with her unique blend of humor, wit, and charm.

[lboogie1906]

Jesús Abraham “Tato” Laviera Sánchez (May 9, 1951 - November 1, 2013) a community activist, poet, declamador, playwright, author, and “a chronicler of life in El Barrio,” was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico to Maria Sánchez Ramos, an embroiderer, and Pablo Laviera Ramírez, a political nationalist, bricklayer, and contactor.

His Lower East Side (Loisaida) fifth-grade Catholic schoolteacher in NYC refused to call him Jesús because he was Black and did not speak English, thus his middle name held. He affixed “Tato,” bestowed by his brother. He attended Cornell University and Brooklyn College.

He was the director of the University of the Streets youth program. He led the Association of Community Service Centers and Hispanic Drama Workshop. He taught creative writing at Rutgers University.

As president of the New Jíbaro Democratic Club, he secured Loisaida US Post Office formal recognition and marshaled 100 activists to seize the offices of Gouverneur Hospital. The successful protest prevented the planned closing of the only multilingual medical facility.

He was inspired to write after meeting Afro-Puerto Ricans Juan Boria, Cortijo y su Combo, Luis Palés Matos, Clemente Soto Vélez, and Jorge Brandon. His books include, La Carreta Made a U-Turn, Enclave, AmeRícan, Mainstream Ethics, and Mixturao. His plays include La Chefa, Here We Come, Becoming García, King of Cans, and Piñones. “AmeRican” is the most anthologized Puerto Rican poem and many of his works are part of the Latinx literary canon. La Carreta was the first Arte Público publication and he helped the press become the largest publisher of US Latinx authors. He is in Birthwrite, Los dos Mundos de Angelita, and The Browning of America films.

He received the Long Island State University Lifetime Achievement, Comité Noviembre Puerto Rican Heritage, Puerto Rican Embassy’s Pedro Pietri Hand, and American Book awards. Artist Don Rimx created a Tato-depicted mural memorial at East Harlem’s Taíno Towers. He has a theatre named in his honor, and its 123rd street corner was renamed Jesús “Tato” Laviera Way. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[mastcrmarksman]

There's a whole lot of trees where I live that bloom purple (they're called jacarandas), and I pass by them every day on my way to and from uni. They always remind me of Clint now :D

I haven't taken a picture bcz driving, but this are what the tree looks like. When the flowers fall, they paint the floor purple too and it looks really pretty.

(once again not my picture)

Good luck at work, you've got this! <3

Oh my gosh, first thank you for the nice little thing 💜

This is actually one of the neatest things to me for real. I love learning about trees and plants, and these ones look so fricking pretty! I'm gonna have to love up more jacarandas cause PURPLE IS THE BEST COLOR 💜💜💜 Clint approved tree. Official Hawkeye tree now.

Work went well. It was a lot of stimuli, normally I'm away from people, but I had to be main event tech and house manager for the Latinx Comic Arts scholarship award ceremony; from what I gathered the local Low Rider groups and other various Latinx focused orgs put together scholarships to award Latinx students, and tonight was a ceremony and reception. So it was just making sure their ceremony went well meanwhile also keeping an eye in the lobby with all their refreshments and the DJ.

We were understaffed and had two events going on (we have a large stage seats 1000 and a little stage seats 50 / I was in the 50 ) and normally the little theatre should have 2 on staff and the main stage have 5. We only had 4 people in total between both. So I got the little theatre all for myself to set up and run and clean up. So it was a lot, but no issues so that's nice and the organizers for the group was very nice and able to set up themselves pretty well and helpful in clean up; and no issues eith the event goers.

I'd say I learned some new Spanish words, but I'll be real I could barely hear. They did have 2 short dance demonstrations of Mexican folk dance (their dresses were gorgeous I've always loved seeing them / where I live we have a large latinx community and since I work at a college, a few other latinx events I've worked they'll usually have these dancers come peform)

Anyways after the little theatre event was done, I also had to assist in clean up of the main stage which involved so much audio cables and microphone and monitor take down (it was a music concert).

Otherwise good, no problem day at work. Just a lot and I get so tired and hungry on these days. I'm little whiny birb. 💜

Thank you so much these trees are so neat and you are so sweet 💜

[magsmapsmtl]

The family that slays together, stays together 🔪🕸️

The Navy Bunch | Jan. 19, 2024 | House of Old Navy MTL

Happy new year! We are BACK with a brand new #MagsMapsMTL, for the first time in over 3 years! With this first post-WordPress era entry, comes one of many life updates: I've entered the ballroom scene, and I'm in a house!

Back in August 2023 during MTL Pride, I attended my third ball (second one that year) with my friends. I have other friends who have been walking for quite a while now, and I'd occasionally get asked if I was also walking. With most of categories I've seen being in the realm of fashion, performance and physical attributes, I was looking at people mad funny like "I'm flattered but bffr, what I'm finna walk??". It wasn't until that night at the Pride ball that my friend Vince pointed out the category Commentator vs. Commentator, which was coming up. After they explained to me what it was I wrestled with the idea of going up for a few minutes... and then I did it. It was giving head empty just adrenaline. And not only did I not bomb, I made it to the final battle against my good sis Chivengi 🥹 Fast forward to December 2023 where I debut in the Iconic 2x Hall of Fame Royal House of Old Navy 😭🙏🏾

The Montreal Navies turn 4 this month, and have an exciting weekend planned at the start of February!

Find us hosting the upcoming edition of DISCOÑO, a local queer Latinx dance party, headlined my French phenom Lazy Flow, Feb. 2nd at Fairmount Theatre

Then, the next evening, Father Ali, Godfather Silver, and Rise Old Navy are putting on The Ultimate Crossover, a cartoon-meets-comics themed ball and the first kiki function of the year, Feb. 3rd at Ausgang Plaza

But before all that, get into the toon spirit at the next Drink n' Draw on Jan. 24th at Le Système, hosted by yours truly with Also Cool Magazine, with guest DJs Killjoy and Kiko Urban!

🎶 You don't want no smoke with the NAVY 🎶

[minstrelsyinthemedia]

How Blackface "Humor" Thrives in the Americas

While blackface is majorly condemned here, Americans are blind to its persisting legacy. In class, we learned about examples of anti-blackness and minstrelsy that are majorly supported. A prominent example is Soldado Micolta, a beloved TV character in Colombia.

Soldado Micolta is an Afro-Latino soldier character played by a white man in blackface. Yikes. (image credits)

Afrolatinx protesters went to Bogota, Colombia in 2015 to protest Soldado Micolta, demanding the character to be taken off air. When this happened, however, Colombians responded by claiming that Soldado Micolta represented the country’s “diverse cultural and racial expressions of humor” (Meraji & Demby, 2018). 

Using humor to excuse racism is nothing new in Latin American society. There has been a recent study analyzing cases of racial discrimination brought to the Justice Tribunal of the State of Sao Paulo in Brazil. From 2012 to 2016, judges have often dismissed these cases because the question of criminal intent is analyzed through “the lens of racialized social teasing and jokes” (Hernández, 2019, p. 351). Racial discrimination, despite how hurtful it can be, continues to be ingrained in the culture because of how people continue to be flippant about it.

You would probably be asking, “What does this have to do with me? Sure, this sucks, but Black people in the US have it so much better now.” It would be silly to not recognize the changes that society has made to make the world a better place. However, we should not ignore the United States’s history of white supremacy and anti-blackness. Distinct non-white ethnic groups in the United States are continued to be seen as foreign, but often times, they would show support towards conservatism and racist ideologies. This can be explained with the idea of “multiracial whiteness.” Multiracial whiteness is an ideology that reflects the understanding of whiteness as more than a skin color. Whiteness guarantees a political identity and culture that represents dominance over others (Flores, 2021). Afrodescendants of today who are successful in a White-powered society like the United States’s look this way because of adaptation. While Americans have become more accepting of Afrodescendants, African-Americans have also adapted to white standards of life.

In fact, Latinx Americans, including all skin tones, participate in anti-Black violence. There has been a "disturbing trend" of more Latinxs joining white supremacist hate groups like League of the South and the Proud Boys (Hernandez, 2022, p. 103). There have also been isolated incidents where Latinx Americans have assaulted Black folks. In 2012, Peruvian American George Zimmerman murdered Black teen Trayvon Martin for walking in his neighborhood, but it was argued that he was not racist because of his Latino heritage (Hernandez, 2022, p. 102). Minorities in the US are just as capable as white people of being racist towards African-Americans, and we often ignore this fact.

“The problem today is that people are laughing at the wrong things,” my theatre and film professor, Allan Havis, tells me when describing blackface in film. There have been many examples in movies of blackface being used in satire, such as Tropic Thunder (2008) and Bamboozled (2000). While they have both received mixed opinions because of their controversial themes, there has always been an existing minority that finds these movies funny not because of the satire, but because of blackface itself. 

Reparations toward African Americans have always been the subject of a complicated debate, but I believe that they are necessary given the long-lasting stain of blackface from the past to the present.

Works Cited

Flores, Tatiana. “‘Latinidad Is Cancelled’: Confronting an Anti-Black Construct.” Latin American and Latinx Visual Culture, vol. 3, no. 3, July 2021, pp. 58–79, https://doi.org/10.1525/lavc.2021.3.3.58.

Hernández, Tanya Katerí. “Latin American Racial Equality Law as Criminal Law.” Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, vol. 14, no. 3, Sept. 2019, pp. 348–58, https://doi.org/10.1080/17442222.2019.1661971.

Hernández, Tanya Katerí. (2022). Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality. Beacon Press. 

Meraji, S. M., & Demby, G. (Hosts). (2018, June 13). Twenty-First Century Blackface. [Audio podcast episode]. In Code Switch. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2018/06/13/619359049/twenty-first-century-blackface