Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jan 23, 2012, 4:03 pm
Presidential Cabinet appointment: Continuing with his LGBT-friendly record, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced this week that Carina Vance Mafla, who is a lesbian, would take the reigns of the country's Health Ministry.  The appointment followed the resignation earlier in the month of the...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jan 21, 2012, 4:31 pm
Abelardo Araya, one of the leading LGBT-rights advocates in Latin America, has passed away at 42 years of age. Friends and relatives found Araya dead at his apartment on Thursday after not hearing from him for a couple of days. Police have ruled out foul play and believe that he died of a heart atta...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jan 12, 2012, 8:46 pm
Photo: Juan Rodriguez, former president of the Puerto Rican Independence Party (Screen capture). One of the least reported stories about the success of the marriage equality push in New York in 2011 was the role of Spanish language media and its positive impact on passage of the law. In particular, ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Nov 25, 2011, 3:55 pm
I have been doing a few interviews as of late and by that I mean who could forget my incredible tête-à-têtes with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Michael Musto, Tim Dax and Lisa M? Now comes the greatest interview of all: An interview with me! Don't worry, I am not as infatuated with myself to have ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Nov 21, 2011, 11:20 am
A year ago, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to grant same-sex couples full marriage rights. Before this year is over, the Argentinean congress might very well pass a groundbreaking transgender-rights law extending health care protections to transgender individuals and making it e...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Nov 19, 2011, 12:33 am
Details are sketchy but a small group of Cuban exiles in Miami apparently held a protest against pop singer Ricky Martin for daring to take the role of "Che" in the new Broadway version of the play "Evita". Once feared for instigating boycotts against any music band that dared to perform in Cuba or ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Nov 18, 2011, 5:23 pm
NOTE: This entry has been cross-posted at The New Civil Rights Movement. Thanks to NCRM Editor David Badash for hosting the post there as well. When President Barack Obama named Puerto Rican lawyer Mari Carmen Aponte as his choice to become the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador in 2009, the nomination ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Nov 14, 2011, 1:55 pm
This week the Central American government of Honduras announced the launch of a special police unit dedicated to investigate crimes committed against members of the country's LGBT population ("Special unit will investigate crimes against 'gays'", La Tribuna, November 13, 2011). The announcement foll...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Oct 28, 2011, 1:49 am
It's been five years to the day since my friend Steven Mackin lost his battle with cancer. He would have been 32 yeas old this year. Before he passed away, Steven asked me to write about him and post his photos on this blog so he would not be forgotten.   I am not prone to observe annual themes on ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Oct 13, 2011, 8:53 pm
***START OF UPDATE (as of Oct. 14, 2011): Monica Trasandes from GLAAD reached out to me this afternoon and said that they brought up my concerns to the producers of "Noche de Perros". In response, the producers said they "get" why the clip might be considered offensive by some viewers and have made ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Oct 5, 2011, 10:47 pm
While current Mexican president Felipe Calderón might have his hands full with the failing state he'll undeniably leave behind, he also leaves a homophobic legacy as the man who ordered his general attorney to challenge Mexico City's marriage equality law before the Mexican Constitutional Court ---...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Sep 29, 2011, 4:12 pm
Can you force someone to give an apology he or she does not believe in? Of course you can! It happens all the time in major showbiz or in sports. Does it matter if the apology has been forced out of somebody if only to save face? Perhaps. But I'd rather the apology be sincere rather than half-assed ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Sep 24, 2011, 6:46 pm
Mexico's National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED) and the National Women's Institute (Inmujeres) have accused a Mexican ad agency working for U.S. giant Mars, Inc. of promoting homophobia, sexism and misogyny for a television ad promoting the Snickers chocolate bar brand. In many ways t...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Sep 22, 2011, 10:23 pm
Last year few people noticed what I thought was a mini-trend: After a relative dearth in LGBT representation in the Latino music industry, several performers came out as gay or lesbian between the months of February and April (OK, maybe I was the only person who noticed). The run-down: 1. First cam...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Sep 21, 2011, 5:15 pm
Below the fold, you will find the original Spanish-language version of my exclusive interview with the lovely Puerto Rican superstar singer, DJ and music producer Lisa M. in which she reflects on her decision to come out as a lesbian on Facebook a year and a half ago and the repercussions since tell...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Sep 13, 2011, 3:46 pm
And now for something different.  Last month was this blog's 6th year anniversary.  Over the course of those years I have written about a number of different topics and, for reasons that should become clear as you read this post, I'd been trying to set up an interview with actor Tim Dax for quite ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Aug 29, 2011, 12:00 pm
[NOTE: A version of this entry has been cross-posted at The New Civil Rights Movement] IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST ON HOMOPHOBIA IN THE PUERTO RICAN SENATE EVEN AFTER SENATOR ARANGO'S RESIGNATION. Last week Republican Puerto Rican Senator Roberto Arango became embroiled in a public s...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Aug 26, 2011, 11:05 pm
PHOTOS: Above: The great Michael Musto at an ACT UP Times Square rally against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. Below: Former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey and I at the same rally. I have lived in New York City for approximately a third of my life and I truly don't know anyone who has been as brilliant at captu...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Aug 22, 2011, 7:54 am
UPDATE: La Prensa reports that a number of unknown individuals identified themselves as members of the Free Expression Foundation to get past security and removed the banner overnight on August 22nd of 2011. The matter is under investigation by university authorities. In January of this year U...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Aug 19, 2011, 12:20 pm
Los Angeles-based music producer/remixer/writer Doctor Rosen Rosen is not necessarily a household name but I have been keeping an eye on his talents since he released a semi-authorized re-rub of UK singer Lily Allen's 2009 album "Allright, Still".  He used Lily's original vocal tracks but built up ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Aug 17, 2011, 5:35 pm
On the early morning of July 15 of 2010, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to grant full marriage rights to same-sex couples. Such a tremendous human rights victory did not take place in a vacuum: It counted with the support of the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and i...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jul 31, 2011, 6:52 pm
Photo: El Diario La Prensa CEO and Chief Editor Rossana Rosado on New York 1 en Español's "Pura Politica". I've been on such a light blogging schedule as of late that I haven't even written about passage of the marriage equality law in New York State last month or the legal marriages between same-s...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jun 16, 2011, 2:52 pm
  PHOTO: Roland Palencia next to recently elected Equality California Board Members Dolores Huerta and Rabbi Steven Jacobs. This is the second part of a two part interview my friend Gloria Nieto conducted a few days ago with incoming Equality California Executive Director Roland Palencia.  In Part...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jun 15, 2011, 2:48 am
  PHOTO: Roland Palencia (Copyright: Debra Evans) Last month the board of directors of Equality California announced they had selected Roland Palencia as their new Executive Director. The announcement surprised many who had not heard his name before, despite an impressive track record in LGBT organ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jun 6, 2011, 3:02 pm
Photo: Vital shows the love she has for her girlfriend. The two got engaged on May 10, 2010. Imagine loving someone so much you want to let her know by tattooing a message of love on yourself.  Imagine wanting to spend your lifetime with that person and celebrating it by becoming engaged, hoping ag...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jun 3, 2011, 1:41 pm
It took a while but here is the translated and transcribed second part of the interview between "Pura Politica" host Juan Manuel Benitez and New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. that ran a week ago today on New York 1 Noticias.  Elements of this segment have been already been translated by Tony V...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jun 1, 2011, 6:34 pm
Mention "New York 1" to anyone in New York City and, if they have access to Time Warner Cable, they'll admit it's their first place to go for NYC news, politics, weather, sports and traffic.  Lesser known to New York City residents is its Spanish-language companion "New York 1 Noticias" which happe...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - May 26, 2011, 10:48 pm
Tomorrow Friday, May 27th, Chicago's National Museum of Mexican Art will be hosting "Queer Prom 2011". The annual event, currently on its seventh year, will be themed "Unapologetically Fierce / Orgullozamente Feroz" and draw inspiration from the activism of queer youth on immigration and LGBT rights...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - May 20, 2011, 1:37 am
PHOTO: Ricky Martin fan and queer poet and author extraordinaire Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano! Last year, when Ricky Martin came out, I found myself searching for words to express just how monumental a step it had been for the Latino LGBT movement. I wasn't necessarily able to find my own words to descr...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - May 4, 2011, 5:41 pm
Kickstarter page here.Twitter page here. This October will mark the thirteenth year anniversary since the horrific murder of Matthew Wayne Shepard. The 21-year old University of Wyoming student met two men at a bar on the very early morning of October 7th, 1998, and accepted their invitation for a r...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - May 1, 2011, 7:37 pm
This week I am highlighting the work of two filmmakers who are raising funds to be able to complete their films this summer. The first film is "Mosquita y Mari" - the debut directorial feature by Chicana filmmaker Aurora Guerrero who has previously worked in productions such as "Real Women Have Curv...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 30, 2011, 9:41 pm
The end of "Gran Hermano 2011": This weekend brings the season finale of "Gran Hermano 2011" - the Argentinean version of the international "Big Brother" reality show franchise.  As you know, if you have been following this blog, the show started with a bang when it was revealed to viewers that one...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 28, 2011, 9:32 pm
Ricky Martin has released a video for the second single from his album "Musica + Amor + Sexo" titled "Más".  It was taped in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the opening weekend of his current tour and directed by Colombian film director Simon Brand who has previously directed videos for Shakira, Paulina...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 24, 2011, 1:48 am
 It's been a grey, cold, rainy Spring day here in New York but an interesting exchange has been taking place between New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. and the venerable newsweekly The Village Voice over a post on Joe.My.God. It all began yesterday when a reader of Joe.My.God. sent translated i...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 20, 2011, 9:36 pm
 Last month Granda Entertainment announced a series of performances by merengue music singer Elvis Crespo at different LGBT-related venues throughout the United States. The singer hit it big in 1999 with his first two singles as a solo artist - "Suavemente" and "Tu Sonrisa" - which spent weeks at t...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 18, 2011, 10:42 pm
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Cubans gathered at Havana's Revolution Square to observe the 50th anniversary of the failed U.S. Bay of Pigs invasion. The historic event, known in Cuba as the Girón Beach Battle, has always been celebrated with a huge annual military parade and fireworks akin ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 17, 2011, 11:42 pm
After being appointed as the Archbishop of Bogotá by Pope Benedict XVI in July of last year, Colombian Monsignor Jesús Rubén Salazar Gómez set three specific goals for himself: "Protecting marriage" as that between a man and a woman; fighting abortion rights for women at all costs and, last of a...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 12, 2011, 9:00 pm
When I think back on my years of activism in the Latino gay community I am always struck by those few unexpected moments and images that still rattle in my head and reverberate long after they have passed. On March 14th, 2004, New York saw as huge an anti-gay rally as I have ever witnessed. Police r...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Apr 8, 2011, 4:11 pm
Peruvians go to the polls this weekend to elect a new president but they probably won't know who won until June:  None of the leading candidates is expected to get the majority of the votes and, if that's the case, the two top vote getters will be heading for a run-off election ("Leftist favored in...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Mar 30, 2011, 9:43 pm
A couple of notably homophobic incidents this week in the Central American country of Panama: Panamanian consul to the Canary Islands resigns over photos distributed on Twitter:  I have a feeling that when 22 year old Ítalo Giovanni Afú Quiel was appointed as the Panamanian consul to the Canary I...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Mar 24, 2011, 3:39 pm
An update, if you have been following this blog... After surviving for three months inside the video-monitored "Big Brother" house, luck ran out Sunday for transgender man Alejandro Iglesias as viewers voted to expel him from the Argentinean version of the reality show. Alejandro, who was only ident...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Mar 14, 2011, 7:31 pm
I don't do many interviews on this blog. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because I get pitched so many promotional interview opportunities that have little if anything to do with this blog. Perhaps it's because I haven't mastered the art of interviewing. But when the chance came my way to interview t...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Mar 6, 2011, 9:32 pm
Two of my favorite blogs out there - Towleroad and Joe.My.God. - picked up on a video that shows the great Cyndi Lauper entertaining a bunch of stranded passengers facing delayed flights out of Buenos Aires by singing "Girls Just Want To Have Fun". Lauper was flying back to the United States from Ar...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Feb 28, 2011, 4:57 am
TAKE ACTION: To support this effort, please click here and sign! In July of last year, I wrote about the outrageous homophobia, transphobia and misogyny that ran rampant on a daytime Spanish-language television show called "José Luis Sin Censura" (Appropriately, I titled the post "Sickening"). I wa...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Feb 10, 2011, 10:43 pm
Camilo García, who works in the Sexual Diversity arm of the Cuban National Sexual Education Center (CENESEX), took to his blog yesterday to share his surprise that a state-sponsored Cuban television channel was showing weekly episodes from the first season of the U.S. television hit "Glee".  A tra...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Feb 10, 2011, 2:49 am
The stunt isn't new.  There has been more than a few heterosexual singers who have sang about gay love or dedicated a song to their gay fans. The most recent example I can remember is Keisha saying somewhat nonsensically that her recent single "We R Who We R" is about bullied gay teens (er, huh?). ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Feb 4, 2011, 8:10 pm
"Guess who this is?" asks Colombia's SoHo magazine on it's fold-out triptych cover for it's February edition.  The cover images were unveiled today in advance of the magazine hitting the streets next week but they are already raising all sort of ruckus on Twitter where the relatred hashtag #laisaen...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Feb 3, 2011, 9:01 pm
Ricky Martin might have gotten props for sidestepping the publicity machine and going straight to the public when he confessed he was gay on Twitter back in March but he's been on one serious publicity-fueled tear since October when he appeared on Oprah and launched his autobiography "Me". He has gr...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jan 31, 2011, 3:30 pm
UPDATE 1: I posted this entry at 3:30pm. It's 4:47pm and the page is gone (reader comments remain, though). Univision must know they erred but there's been no apology yet.UPDATE 2: An explanation for the disappearance of the page and the poll. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) ...
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Andres D. posted an article on Babbleando - Jan 28, 2011, 2:07 am
BREAKING NEWS: The lat 48 hours have brought tremendously sad news when it comes to international LGBT activism: 42 year-old David Kato, by all accounts a tremendous LGBT rights advocate from Uganda, was bludgeoned to death with a hammer on Wednesday, months after he was prominently featured in a lo...
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