While googling some of Alma Lopez’s pieces, I came across this picture of Mary Magdalene and the Virgin of Guadalupe kissing which sparked my interest. This piece is by Alex Donis, a Guatemalan queer artist from Los Angeles.

While Donis grew up Catholic, he always resented the Church’s homophobic tendencies. His lived experiences inspired him to create a space to manifest what usually gets seen as forbidden or ‘dangerous’ desires. It is through his art that he succeeds in creating these spaces that would otherwise get displaced and ignored by the public sphere.

Like Alma Lopez, Donis’ piece, Mary Magdalene and The Virgin of Guadalupe from his My Cathedral collection, uses alternative modes of cultural production to create a space for queer desire and sexuality. Like Alma, Donis also uses symbols, in this case two biblical women who would normally be seen as opposites; one representing virginity and purity, while the other symbolizes sexual impurity.  By using these clashing symbols, Donis challenges the taboo of sexuality as presented by the Church and hopes to invoke in all a desire to dig deep into one’s own sexuality and desire.

Overall, Donis and other artists that we have learned about in class search to break paradigms that are hierarchical and repressive through different art forms. 

–Sandy Garcia

Clips from novela Mas Sabe El Diablo~

I chose the “The Laughing Track,” by Crookers in attempting to articulate how the nation state produces fear for trans women of color but also how their sexual attractions as trans women of color  are mediated by the nation state..

by AJM

Repost: Laverne Cox is Amazing on the Cover of Time, Time’s Story Inside Not So Much

http://www.autostraddle.com/laverne-cox-is-amazing-on-the-cover-of-time-times-story-inside-not-so-much-239425/

I am a fan of the show Orange is the New Black because of its interesting plot line and funny characters. I found an article called, ”Laverne Cox is Amazing on the Cover of Time, Time’s Story Inside Not So Much,” and it displays the actress Loverne Cox on the front cover of Time. Loverne Cox is a transgender women and in the show she plays the role of Sophia Burset. The article discusses the activism Loverne Cox’s does and believes in. I found it to be very interesting and informative to know the struggles a person of color who is in the lgbtq  community encounters. I am aware that our class is focused on Latina/o Sexualities ;however, in the Latino community there are women of color who are transgender and face discrimination. 

–Elizabeth Flores-Arroyo

Reclaiming the Latina Tag, by Alice Song

I found this tumblr: http://reclaimingthelatinatag.tumblr.com. Before when you searched the “Latina” tag on Tumblr, you would see images of hypersexualized Latina women and racist caricatures. In addition, there were various photosets created by straight men who would pit Latina women against other women of color, detailing which race was attractive for which reason and why Latina women were particularly desired or not. This is evocative of the ways the mulatta was framed as simultaneously desired but also hated for her mixed heritage. The blog, created by and for Latina women, was to fight against hypersexualization and fetishization and reclaim the word Latina as a label of empowerment. Not only are there categories devoted to art, literature, science, and music, there are reading lists, political texts, and information on indigenous communities, activism, and AfroLatina as a separate descriptor. They also encourage their follows to submit selfies to flood the Latina tag with pictures of real-life Latina women. 

Aurora Guerrero on Making Mosquita y Mari & Challenging Hollywood's Lack of Diverse Stories

by Elizabeth Flores-Arroyo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-erazo/aurora-guerrero-on-making_b_3226548.html

After watching the film, Mosquita y Mari, I was curious in reading about the filmmaker’s inspiration. I found the article called, Aurora Guerrero on Making Mosquita y Mari & Challenging Hollywood’s Lack of Diverse Stories where Aurora Guerrero is the filmmaker. In her film, she explores Latina sexuality through the unique feelings two Latina girls encounter. As I was reading more about Aurora’s thoughts on Hollywood it was interesting to read how she describes growing up and not seeing films on Latinos. In addition, she shared about her challenges not seeing Latinos as role models,  ”It’s hard to grow up and not see yourself portrayed in realistic ways on film. From a young age I was really bothered by that. When I did see a film about Latinos I didn’t recognize my experience at all. I actually wondered if those type of Latinos really existed because I didn’t know anyone like that”. Finally, I believe that Aurora’s film Mosquita y Mari proves how there needs to be more Latina/os in the film industry .