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Queer Latin@s in Cinema

           Latin American Queer Cinema is a smaller offset of queer cinema that contains Latin American actors and culturally relevant topics. While not being as large as its’ more well-known American Queer cinema, largely because of the taboo that many Latin American cultures place on the queer topic, it is a significant cinematographic category that can be looked to in order to see the evolution of the queer Latin American individual both in a cultural setting as well as in the mainstream media setting.

What is Queer?

"Queer" is a term that is often used to define individuals that differ from the heterosexual or gender norm. The term can be used to categorize individuals that identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and other identifications that can distinguish an individual from the heterosexual norm. The term in itself has seen a lot of change in the past few decades, merely looking up the word in a dictionary shows a negative connotation of the word as it is defined as spoiling something or as a derogatory term toward gay, lesbian, and transgendered individuals. From having been coined as a derogatory term in the 90s to being embraced by many groups of people today, the development of the term is quite evident.

Queer Cinema

Queer cinema has been around for decades, ranging from highly influential movies to small independent films that are seldom seen outside of small film festivals. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), for example, is a cult classic with a significant following that is highly passionate about the movie. Significantly, this movie portrays an outlandish view on transgender and overall queer identity, depicting the transgender male as a rather eccentric man than looks to seduce both men and women in his pursuits. In the early 90s, international film festivals such as the New York and the Toronto film festivals began to develop categories in which they would begin to show queer movies. Queer cinema saw a significant growth when these international film festivals began airing the movies and giving them a place within a well-known market because it allowed them to reach a larger audience than ever before. Being included in well-known and highly respected film festivals gave queer cinema a stepping-stone into mainstream cinema. We have even seen a rise in queer Hollywood cinema with movies like Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Across the Universe (2007) being significantly popular in mainstream Hollywood. Over the years, Gay men have not always been portrayed in a positive light. Some men are portrayed to be predatory while some may be made fun of for being especially flamboyant individuals; many have even been portrayed as highly suicidal drug addicts. It is believed, however, that bad exposure is better than no exposure at all. Even a negative portrayal of a queer individual in cinema brings the queer community into mainstream attention.

Queer in Latin America

While many Latin American countries like Argentina and Mexico have begun to allow same-sex marriages, many individuals and families have historically had difficulties coping with homosexuality when it becomes a topic within their own households. Latin America is a highly religious and community-based culture that has traditionally not taken to the queer culture. The predominantly Christian and Catholic ideals found within Latin America do not accept any form of homosexuality, often explaining that being homosexual automatically excludes an individual from being able to be with their family in heaven. Coming out is often taken with difficulty, although significantly different from their American counter parts. While many white individuals coming out to their families simply move to another state if not accepted by their families, the Latin@ queer stays at home. This stems from a culture where one does not move away from one’s family, even if there are problems within it. There is a significant lack of support for Latin American families looking to cope with and understand the lives of their queer children and family members. While organization like PFLAG exist, many of them lack groups where Latin American families can organize and attempt to come to terms with their queer family members on a level that includes their religious and traditional backgrounds.

Latin American Queer Cinema

Queer individuals often contradict the heterosexual norm within cinematic boundaries. This contradiction significantly impacts the machismo ideals within the Latin American culture, where men are expected to be strong and dominant. This strongly male-dominated culture is cinematographically afraid of a male that contradicts the traditional ideal, leading to a lack of exposure for the transgender male within Latin American queer cinema. While many have attempted to bring the Latino transgender man into queer cinema, such as in Arturo Ripstein’s El Lugar sin limites (1978), the man is seldom portrayed in a positive light. In queer Latin American cinema, the body is often seen as a tool above all else. The body is a tool that is used in order to attain satisfaction above all other things. Films like O Fantasma (2000) portray men that are obsessed with sexual satisfaction, digging through trash to find a means of arousal and having rough sex with numerous strangers in a short time. Such movies give the queer male a predatory personality, taking their actions and giving them animalistic traits and desires that are only fulfilled through violent sex. There is also a normative ideal in Latin American cinema that it is acceptable for women to sleep in the same bed together, situation such as those do not automatically place a movie within the realm of queer cinema. It is not a social norm, however, for two men to share a bed. Two men sharing a bed within Latin American cinema, even if those men are young, is often used as an indication of queer acts that are not explicitly shown.

Examples

La Mission (2009) Che Rivera (Benjamin Bratt) is a newly released prisoner. He has grown up living in the Mission District being a tough guy by embracing his masculinity. Being a recovering alcoholic, he tries to maintain his rolemodel status within the barrio where everyone knows him and for his son Jesse “Jes” Rivera (Jeremy Ray Valdez), who he has raised by himself since the death of his wife. Che thought that he brought up his son right by encouraging him to be a better person than Che. However, dynamics change when he finds out that his son is gay. He does not accept it and ends up kicking Jes out of the house. For Che, being gay is losing your machismo within the community and you are viewed as weak. But if he wants to be a part of his son’s life, he has to engage into an emotional side of himself that he is not familiar with.

Quinceañera (2006) This movie follows two teens who have to overcome the traditionalist ideals of a Mexican, religious family. Magdalena (Emily Rios), a 14 year old girl brought up by a religious family, is excited to have her Quinceañera, a rite of passage ceremony that represents the transformation of a teenage girl into a woman. However, her life took an unexpected turn when she finds out that she is pregnant. Because of her father’s religious, traditional values, she is kicked out of her home and moves in with her Great Uncle Tomas (Chalo González) and her cousin Carlos (Jesse Garcia), who is a troubled teen who was kicked out of his family because of his "homosexuality". In the eyes of their families, they have disgrace and disrespected them. Magdalena has to grow up as she is forced into the real world and Carlos tries to come to terms with his sexual orientation has he interacts with his Great Uncle’s landlords. In the end, they both finally receive the love and support they needed, from each other.

See also

• Latin Americans
• Quinceañera (film)
• LGBT social movements
• Gay Shame
• Queer
• La Mission (film)
• LGBT