NYC mayoral candidates break bread with Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage

NYS Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. reveals long-shot Democratic mayoral candidate Erick Salgado donated $4,000 for buses carrying New Yorkers to anti-gay rally in Washington, DC.

In a crowded political race it's not surprising to see candidates look for every opportunity to sell their message and in New York City that means finding ways to reach an incredibly diverse population not only in terms of ethnicity but also religion.

Of course, that sometimes means alliances with religious leaders and attending church services and events with large congregations.

In past years New York State Senator and Pastor Ruben Diaz, Sr. has shown the ability to bring large numbers of people to rallies against marriage equality here in New York as well as Washington, DC. So does that mean that his demonstrated power to influence a segment of the community is too rich an opportunity to pass up for a politician if Diaz invites you to an event?

You might expect candidates to think twice about saying yes to a man who has been the leading voice against LGBT rights in New York State, who has compared homosexuality to bestiality, who proudly claims there is no separation church and state and sees eventual passage of marriage equality throughout the United States and a sign of the end of days. Oh, and a man who laughs uproariously at "birther" jokes made about Barack Obama when made in his presence. 

OK, I'll give you this. Perhaps if Diaz himself pushed you to run as a mayoral candidate - as Diaz did with long-shot Democratic mayoral candidate Erick Salgado - you might feel obliged to attend.

But what if most mayoral candidates had no issue whatsoever in accepting the invite?

Well, that's what happened on April 13th when Diaz invited all mayoral candidates to a banquet celebrating the 25th year anniversary of Hispanic Ministers of New York Organization - the same organization that pulled together all those anti-marriage equality rallies - and actually got all but two of the leading mayoral candidates to attend.

Even better, for most of the ceremony Diaz had Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage sit to his right as a guest of honor.

Just a couple of weeks earlier Diaz had worked with the ministers' organization and NOM to send more than thirty buses full of people to protest against marriage equality outside the Supreme Court during the DOMA and Prop 8 debate.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer leading a chant of "Si Se Puede!"

Present at the April 13th banquet were NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Bronx Assemblymembers Marcos Crespo and Luis Sepulveda, NYS Republican Committee Chairman Ed Cox and, of course, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. - the Senator's son - who came out for marriage equality during the same week his father was riling against it in Washington.

Also among attendees were U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer promoting immigration reform, Republican mayoral candidates Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis, independent mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrión and Democratic mayoral candidates John Liu, Bill Thompson and Erick Salgado.

That's a whopping six of the leading eight mayoral candidates with Christine Quinn and Bill De Blasio being the only ones not to show up (Full diclosure: I have publicly backed Quinn for mayor but have supported Bill Thompson in past elections and might have considered backing John Liu if it wasn't for some unanswered questions about his former and current fundraising teams).

Of course, attending an event like this rarely speaks for a candidate's view on certain issues. In fact every mayoral candidate who attended the event except for Salgado supports marriage equality but I am often asked why Diaz remains in power after all these years of demagoguing against the LGBT community and, unfortunately, here is the answer: He gets a pass by those in power who should know better.

NOM expenditures: As for Brian Brown, the event invite did not mention he would be in attendance but I find it hard to believe that people like Schumer were in any way unaware of the pro and anti-marriage equality rallies in DC just days earlier and knew exactly who NOM was as he sat next to Brian. To mayoral candidates who might not have known who he was it would not be a shocker that someone like him would be a guest of honor at the event fully knowing of Diaz's views about gays and lesbians.

The event did break some news: In a Spanish-language speech Diaz made at the end of the ceremony after most if not all of the mayoral candidates had left.  As famously guarded as NOM is about the money they spend, Diaz revealed that NOM had spent $60,000 dollars on 30 buses used to transport hundreds of people to Washington, DC, for an anti-marriage equality rally outside the Supreme Court in March.

Diaz also said that NOM had brought a check for $25,000 to the banquet as a donation to the several radio stations used by the Hispanic Ministers of New York Organization to spread their anti-marriage equality message.

Another surprise: Diaz's mayoral candidate Erick Salgado also donated $4,000 for two additional buses to the anti-gay rallies in DC.

Direct quote from Diaz:

I wanted to let you know that for the march we did to Washington, thirty buses two out of 32 buses were paid by Erick Salgado - and thirty of them, the ones we ran from here, were paid by Brian Brown. All those buses. Each bus cost $2,000 and multiply thirty buses by two and you have $60,000 spent on the "Vigil on Wheels to Washington"

Diaz also said that all the previous rallies had been funded by NOM.

I took the liberty of posting an edited clip of the two hour event.  Click on it to open it in a separate window and it will be easier to read my translated annotations. It must be said that by the time Brian spoke at the end most if not all of the mayoral candidates had left. Here is a link to a full version of the clip including speeches by each of the mayoral candidates who attended.

Turn on 'annotations' to read subtitles.

The Passion of the Christ, Part II: Cristiada

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 reports put the crowd outside the Bronx Courthouse at 5,000 to 7,000 but I wouldn't be surprised if the count was much higher.

Although it's not entirely clear who masterminded the event or paid for it, hundreds of Latino churches throughout the NY/NJ/CT tri-state region ended their Sunday morning services by herding parishioners into buses and taking them to the Bronx. At the time, President George W. Bush was threatening a constitutional amendment to block same-sex marriages in the United States and rally organizers seemed all too happy to stand up and speak up in front of a huge banner that read "No to homosexual marriages, yes to President George Bush's constitutional amendment" (so much for a separation between church and state!).

I was there with 40 or 50 queer Latinos and allies hoping to counter the homophobic sentiments being sent in the name of God but there was little chance our message could reach such a huge crowd.  At the very least, we did provide an alternative message to some of the Latino media that showed up that day.

As the crowd swelled past the Courthouse grounds, across the street and into the park grounds where we stood, the police saw it fit to pen us in as a measure of protection. But I never really felt the need for the police pens nor did I feel in physical danger.  Most of the signs were of the "God made Adam for Eve, not for Steve" or the "love the sinner but hate the sin" variety and most people left us alone.

Most people.

As we stood in our safety area a woman wearing dressed in a denim jacket and wearing a baseball cap slowly made her way up the hill towards us calling us sinners and telling us we were going to hell. The detail that has stuck with me all these years later was not so much her shouting or vehemence but the fact that she was holding a copy of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" high in the air - until someone stepped in and convinced her to walk away.

The movie had just been released three weeks earlier, and I remember finding it hilarious that someone was using a pirated version of the DVD to tell me I was going to hell.

It had also opened to boffo box office success in the United States in part due to the word-of-mouth from preview screenings at right-wing evangelical venues.

Which brings me to a new film called "Cristiada".

Probably not quite as bloody as "The Passion of the Christ" nor as well-poised to receive as large a distribution deal, this is certainly the most expensive and overtly direct attempt to appeal to that segment of the Latino evangelical community who thought "The Passion of the Christ" was a documentary.

Here is the official movie preview which was released at the end of March...

This period piece film dramatizes the Mexican Cristero War of 1926 in which Christians picked up arms to defeat a secular government who was prosecuting religious expression.  The cinematography looks amazing which is not surprising as the movie is being promoted as the most expensive film to be completely filmed in Mexico.  It also has a strong cast which includes legendary actor Peter O'Toole as well as Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Rubén Blades, Bruce Greenwood, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Nestor Carbonell.

Scratch deeper and you'll ask why all these fine actors got themselves involved in this project.

Director Dean Wright previously handled special effects for "Chronicles of Narnia: The Witch and the Wardrobe" which is based on a series of C.S. Lewis novels that some have taken to task for weaving Christian theology into what is essentially a children's book series.  That might not necessarily indicate religious intent but an April 8th interview with the homophobic religious site CNA certainly does ("Movie explores faith in Cristero War against forced secularism").

In the interview Wright says he became interested in the film thanks to producer Pablo José Barroso who is no stranger to religious propaganda as in the film "Guadalupe" which was also championed at CNA.

Most worrisome is the involvement of actors Eduardo Verastegüi and Karyme Lozano in the film.

Mexican born Verastegüi plays the role of a martyr Christian priest who was hung for advocating peace. He is also an actor who gained notoriety as a member of a beefcake boyband called Kairo who eventually moved to Hollywood seeking showbiz success.

He found it, initially being cast in movies like "Chasing Papi" and television episodes of "CSI: Miami" and "Charmed" but rumor is that he also fell in the hands of an English-language teacher who taught him that his "life-style" was wrong.

He soon became a rabidly anti-choice advocate and a marriage equality opponent who became the Latino face of those who backed Proposition 8 in California, which sought to ban recognition of any same-sex marriages in the state.

Speaking to Univisión as quoted by CNA (of course) Verastegüi says "It is a film with a great message of faith, love, hope, loyalty and courage, about the religious persecution in Mexico... I play a Catholic lawyer, Blessed Anacleto Gonzalez Flores, called the ‘Mexican Ghandi,’ because he was a heroic pacifist who only wanted to defend his Catholic faith without violence".

Verastegüi playing the martyr. Sigh. As for Karyme Lozano...

Oy! Another big conversion into homophobic blather. This from a woman who gladly received the 2008 crown as the queen of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade!

And there you go. A star-studded Latino movie that spends millions of dollars painting Christians as innocent victims in ways that the director, the producers and some of the actors surely hope it will reverberate today, particularly in Latino communities.

They are already targeting right-wing religious sites for promotion, just as Mel Gibson did a decade ago. This time. though, they are going straight for the heart of the Latino community and I'm not so sure once it finds a distributor it will receive the critical response it deserves to get, particularly in the leading Latino publications.

Senator Ruben Diaz to Blabbeando: Thank you

One more post on the Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr. and the anti-gay crime that took place recently in the Bronx.

Yesterday I admitted I was wrong in stating earlier in the week that Senator Diaz had been mum on the attack. But I agreed with New York Daily News political reporter Bob Kappstater when he said the statement could have been stronger and not evade the use of the word gay.

I also said that the only way I found out about the statement was through an article that ran over the weekend in the Spanish-language newsdaily El Diario La Prensa.

Admittedly, it's not Diaz's fault that other newspapers didn't pick up on his press release but, yesterday, I also criticized that the statement was nowhere to be seen in what is arguably his most public presence on the web: His Senate page.

I wasn't expecting a response and the Senator's office has certainly not reached out to me but a Google alert just... ehm... alerted me to some developments.

The Senator's office has posted the Reverend's full statement online as a top news story on his website. It's titled "Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz Outraged by Depraved Acts of Violence" and it reads as follows:

I am appalled by news reports of depraved criminal acts committed by nine young men who tortured and robbed teens and men in a building on Osborne Place in The Bronx. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

No one deserves to be brutalized or victimized. Predatory crimes like these are among the most heinous. Our laws must be enforced. Each criminal involved deserves the maximum penalty upon conviction.

Violence in our society is out of control. Too many young people act on impulse and don’t think about the consequences of their actions for themselves or others. We need to teach our youth to respect each other and remind them about the importance of reflection.

There's a second story at the top of the page, though, and that one reads "Senator Diaz to Blabbeando: Thank You!". I. Kid. You. Not.  From the Senator's statement:

I deeply appreciate the honesty of blogger Blabbeando to correct himself on his website and through his twitter account about the press release I issued on Saturday expressing my outrage about the heinous crimes committed by Bronx youth on Osborne Avenue.

Even though Blabbeando criticizes me, I love honesty – and unlike Gerson Borrero – Blabbeando is honest.

I publicly thank Blabbeando for his sincerity and for his refusal to perpetuate any claim that I was “mum” over the weekend.

As you know, yesterday I also pointed out a blog post at the WNYC radio station's website in which Latino political pundit Gerson Borrero took Senator Diaz to task for the homophobia he has seeded throughout the Bronx as a political representative from the borough.  I'm not sure if the Senator - or his press handlers - missed it but I did categorize Mr. Borrero's essay as "a great, great, great - and important - column".

Mr. Borrero, as I did at first, probably wasn't aware of the statement because it was certainly not disseminated publicly and was only picked up by few media venues, making it easy for people to have missed it.

But, in his thank you statement to Blabbeando, the Reverend (or his press handlers) are directly evading the larger point that Borrero was making in his essay: Homophobia has an impact and the Reverend has blood on his hands for seeding it all over the Bronx all these years.

Yes, I sincerely thanked the Reverend for putting out the statement because I sincerely appreciated it.  But one single statement does not make up for the incredible damage the man has done to the LGBT community in New York throughout the years.

I am aware the two men - Diaz and Borrero - have a longstanding feud over Borrero's criticism of the Reverend (Borrero calls Diaz "a man of the Devil" so there is no love lost on either side).  I for one don't appreciate to be thanked in a statement that only serves to get back at Borrero.

Two final points: In releasing the Senator's statements against the crime in the Bronx, the Senator's office also state the following:

Last week, Senator Reverend Diaz joined with community leaders to denounce crimes committed against Bangladeshi residents in Parkchester. In August, he joined with members of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization to denounce bias attacks against Mexican residents of Staten Island.

Well, he might have joined those communities publicly at press conferences and rallies, but he certainly was nowhere to be seen when advocates held a press conference over the weekend denouncing the crimes.  Now, think about the opposite: What would have happened if the Reverend had stood publicly with LGBT community advocates and deplored the homophobic basis of the attack? THAT, my friends, would have been big news.

And about Kappstater's comment on the avoidance of using the word "gay" in the statement Diaz released to media: As Kappstater noted, the word "gay" is indeed absent from the official statement and it's also absent in the Senator's 'thank-you' statement but, surprisingly, it appears in the intro to the note:

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz issued the following remarks today in response to online postings by Blabbeando about the Senator’s repudiation of the widely reported predatory attacks of two gay men in The Bronx... 

So, in a sense, the Reverend has yet to utter the word "gay" in deploring these attacks. As for the statement that two gay men were attacked, the alleged victims are four, not two, and, as far as I know only one was known to live an openly gay life.  The fact that two of the gang members who were victimized are alleged to have admitted to having sexual contact with the openly gay man does not necessarily mean either man was gay or identified as such.

PS: The Reverend is still blocking me from following him on Twitter. LOL!

Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.'s response to the anti-gay attacks in the Bronx

I admit it. I was wrong. Yesterday I said the Reverend (and New York State Senator) Ruben Diaz, Sr. had yet to respond to the horrendous anti-gay attack that took place in the Bronx earlier this month and it turns out the Reverend had indeed put out a statement repudiating the crime.

You wouldn't know it, though, if you visited the Senator's official website which currently lists two top stories:

The first one challenges New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his support of marriage equality.

The second highlights the Senator's support for Bangladeshi Americans in denouncing "hate crimes" in the Bronx against their community.

Having checked there first, and not having found any statements decrying the attacks, I asked some Bronx LGBT advocates and they hadn't heard a thing from the Diaz camp either.

I should have asked his office directly or read the Spanish-language press.

On Sunday's edition of El Diario La Prensa published an article titled "Indignation at attacks against gays in the Bronx."

According to the paper, they received a press statement from the Reverend which said the following:

I am surprised by reports in the press about the depraved criminal acts committed by nine young men who tortured and robbed two adolescents and a man in an Osborne Place building in the Bronx. My prayers go with the victims and their relatives. Nobody deserves to be brutalized or victimized.

I am grateful to the Senator for speaking up. I truly am. Still, there is a couple of glaring omissions from the statement and at least one journalist noticed one of them.

From a column published yesterday in the New York Daily News authored by political reporter Bob Kappstater ("Bronx hangs its head in wake of heinous gay-bashing attack"):

State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. is against gay marriage. That's his religious belief as a Pentecostal minister - and his right. But he could have been a bigger man when he issued a statement Saturday, condemning the attacks - but not once using the word gay [italics mine].

Some may say that people are stretching facts a bit too far to find any fault in the statement. But consider the fact that said statement is nowhere to be found on his official site under blog entries, news items or press releases.

In addition, it's striking that the Senator would deem fit to criticize Bloomberg on gay issues and never admit in his statement that the attacks in the Bronx were in any way related to homophobia.  More striking is the fact that ten days ago he was highlighting his work to combat hate crimes against Bangladeshi-Americans in the Bronx and that in his statement about the horrific homophobic crime in the Bronx he also holds off from mentioning the term "hate crime".

It's definitely not the kind of leadership in the Bronx that Gerson Borrero is calling for.

Gerson Borrero: The elephant in the room when it comes to the anti-gay attacks in the Bronx

If you are among those New Yorkers who have Time Warner Cable and tune in to "Inside City Hall" on NY1 on weekdays, you might recognize Gerson Borrero as the guy who spars with conservative radio host and former Guardian Angel Curtis Sliwa over the political news of the week.

But for Latino residents of the city, Mr. Borrero is a journalistic legend, having been the Editor-in-Chief at El Diario La Prensa, the largest Spanish language newspaper in the city, and a political radio personality as well.  He still has a weekly political column at the paper called "Bajo Fuego" ("Under Fire").

Over the years, he has also emerged as one of the strongest straight allies of the Latino LGBT community by challenging the homophobia of some of our elected Latino political leaders.

Mr. Borrero, who blogs at The Borrero Report, is also a guest blogger at WNYC Radio's It's a Free Blog and yesterday he penned an amazing post titled "Loud-Mouthed Homophobes Have Made Gay Violence Acceptable for Too Many" in which he takes on homophobic New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., his son, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and even gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo.

An excerpt:

Let me point to the elephant in the room: Every individual involved in this odious crime is Latino. The vile act occurred in the poorest congressional district in the nation. All of the elected officials at the municipal, state, and federal levels representing the neighborhood where the crime was committed are Puerto Rican and Dominican.

Of these elected officials, the most vociferous anti-LGBT person in the Bronx is Rubén Díaz. The state senator has built his political career by vilifying the LGBT community at every turn [...] And yet, no critics have made the connection between the crime and the terrain, which has been poisoned against gays for so long by Rubén Díaz.

It's a great, great, great - and important - column and Borrero doesn't mince words.  I hope you take some time to click on the link above to read it.

In the meantime, I was invited to contribute a post to National Public Radio's Tell Me More blog on the same topic ("It's a Matter of hate, and a matter of safety"). I took a different tack and I'm not sure I was as successful as I intended. I did want to thank those people in the Bronx who did speak up to say 'not in our streets.'

By the way, Borrero also has a weekly segment in the Spanish-language NY1 channel called "Para Que Lo Sepas".  This week, he spoke about the topic in Spanish to the viewers.  You can watch that segment here.

Related:

• Bronx fights back (Gay City News)

Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr.: Mum on Paladino, mum on horrific anti-gay crime in the Bronx

Word came tonight that the usually loquacious New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. finally spoke up about the homophobic statements made by embattled conservative gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino over the weekend.

Or, rather, someone at The Albany Times Union reached Diaz and got the following:

Just got off the phone with Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., vocal same-sex marriage opponent. He declined to comment on @CarlPaladino's comments #nygov

No big surprise there. You might remember the 'good' Reverend made a show of inviting and embracing the anti-immigrant Tea Party candidate to the Bronx where he was "warmly embraced" by the Reverend and his religious acolytes back in August, according to NY1 ("Paladino stumps in the Bronx, receives warm welcome").

Now, as the Paladino candidacy seems to be going down in flames, we can certainly understand why the Reverend would rather stay quiet about their short-lived BFF status and clamp down on the bromance.

What is more difficult to understand is why the 'good' Reverend, who represents parts of the Bronx, has also stayed mum on the horrific crime committed by a Latino gang in his neighborhood against people they thought were gay.

After all, he did cast a rather surprising vote in favor of anti-bullying legislation back in June - which led to its passage.  Furthermore, a week ago, the Reverend proclaimed he was standing up against hate crimes when it came to a spate of recent attacks against the Bangladeshi community in the Bronx.

His non-homophobic son, who happens to be the current Bronx Borough President, did put out the following statement:

The news of these hate crimes sadden us all, and I am grateful that the NYPD has moved so quickly against those responsible for these homophobic attacks. Bronxites will not tolerate any form of bigotry in our borough, and we stand together as 1.4 million residents to condemn these actions and to oppose hatred in all its forms.

The Reverend? Still mum.  And Bronx Borough President Diaz, Jr. can't cover for him forever.

Perhaps the 'good' Reverend will call the Capital Tonight's Liz Benjamin tomorrow and respond to this blog post?

I'd ask him myself but, shoot! He's blocked me from his Twitter account (I wonder why) - See image on the left.

You, on the other hand, can still follow him on Twitter! Just click on @RevRubenDiaz and follow! And let me know things he wouldn't want to tweet to me!

As for Paladino and his unfortunate remarks at a Jewish synagogue in Brooklyn this weekend, The New York Times has an illuminating article posted online today ("Alliance with a rabbi has risks and rewards for Paladino") which follows Liz Benjamin's post earlier this weekend ("Paladino snubbed in Boro Park").

I mention this to point out that Paladino chose to align himself with the fringest of the fringestest conservative Orthodox Jewish figures in the city - Rabbi Yehuda Levin.  I also mention this to nicely tie up this post into the obligatory scary Paladino-Diaz-Levin triumvirate they will now escape from...

And yes, I have got video of Levin blessing Reverend Diaz and...



"Sodom on the Hudson" indeed! That's from an anti-gay rally held in May of 2009.

Nobody can say that rabbi Levin's statements weren't out there for anyone to find. Specially by Paladino who is now trying to place the blame on Levin for his statements.

The whole Paladino thing has certainly marginalized rabbi Levin to the sidelines. He'll probably never be reached by a political campaign ever again. And that is a very good thing we have to thank Paladino for.

If only the scandal would also help to marginalize the 'good' Reverend as well.

[Leading image of Senator Diaz and Carl Paladino courtesy of NGBlog].

NYS primary elections: Vote for Francisco Moya and Charlie Ramos

Today is primary election day in New York. I'm keeping my eye on a couple of races and would like to ask readers in those districts to vote for two specific candidates.

Francisco Moya vs. Hiram Monserrate: The first race is in the 39th State Assembly District in Queens which is an open seat. It also happens to be the district in which I live.

Long-time community advocate Francisco Moya has ran for political office before and has never been elected. I predict he will easily win the primary in large part because he's got the backing of several labor unions, a number of the leading politicians in the city and the Queens Democratic Party.

Moya also has the backing of the leading LGBT-rights organization in the state, the Empire State Pride Agenda, potential future state governor Andrew Cuomo, and - in what is a heavily Latino district - the endorsement of the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the city, El Diario La Prensa.

Funny thing about that El Diario endorsement: It doesn't mention a word about his lead rival.

That would be disgraced former Councilmember and State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who was ousted of the State Senate after being convicted of assaulting his girlfriend.  In his brief run as a state senator, he also threw the legislature into disarray when he wavered on siding with Republicans on grabbing control from Democrats.  Oh, and after years of saying he was in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples, when it actually came to delivering, he voted against them.

Did I mention I considered Hiram to be a friend at one time? Heck, I took him to his first gay bar!

The one caveat about Moya? He is deep, deep, DEEP into Queens Democratic Party machine politics (heck, he once worked for Queens Dem Party leader and US Congressman Joseph Crowley) and I've always been about independent politics.  There's no doubt Francisco will just give his stamp of approval on every single thing Crowley sends down to him. And that's not necessarily a good thing.

On the other hand, it's Hiram he is running against. Today: Vote Francisco Moya.

If that sounded like a lukewarm endorsement, the next one won't...



Charlie Ramos vs. Ruben Diaz, Sr.: In what El Diario La Prensa has called a "David and Goliath" race, community leader Carlos "Charlie" Ramos is challenging homophobic state senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. in the Bronx's 32nd Senate District. Ramos, who has led a shoe-string campaign to unseat one of the worst homophobic politicians in the city.

The extent to which Diaz has amassed outside national funding from anti-gay and "Tea Party" sources while failing to raise funds from constituents speaks to his lack of support from local voters.

Unfortunately, people in his district vote at one of the lowest rates in the city and this has always worked in his favor. He has always been able to motivate his blind followers on social issues while those who might vote against him usually stay home and let him get away with it.

I'll probably have more to say about this in the future, particularly if Ramos fails at his bid.  But, if you read this and live in the Bronx, please make an effort to cast your vote for Charlie Ramos.  If you do, it will stun the political world and relegate Diaz, Sr. to the history books. It will also get you a humbler Senator who will respond to the community's needs and not his own. At least not the needs of a Senator who believes he might as well cave in because the end of days are near...



Please vote for Charlie Ramos!

Bronx Borough Prez Ruben Diaz, Jr. honors Bronx Pride Day

The Bronx Borough President's Office held an event yesterday honoring Bronx Pride Day and we weren't invited (just kidding!).

At the event, according to a press release, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. met with Lisa Winters, Executive Director of The Bronx Community Pride Center, and "discussed their shared agenda for the Bronx LGBT community, including topics such as equal access to borough services and future funding for LGBT initiatives."

Mr. Diaz also presented a proclamation to the organization.

It's a far cry from June of 2006, when Ms. Winters was accusing former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión of making it impossible to host a pride event in the Bronx by making it difficult to obtain a permit. At the time she said that if City Council Speaker Christine Quinn had not stepped in at the last minute, the event would have had to been canceled ("LGBT Pride controversy in the Bronx?" June 29, 2006). Mr. Diaz was elected Borough President in April when a special election was held to replace Mr. Carrion who vacated the office in February to join the Obama administration.

Mr. Diaz, of course, is also the son of State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., perhaps the best known Latino anti-gay politician in the state. Recently we featured an interview that Diaz, Jr. did on NY1 Noticias in which he discussed his father ("Ruben Diaz, Jr. on his father's homophobia" July 18, 2009) and uploaded a translated YouTube video of the exchange.

As for the date of this year's Bronx Pride Festival, the Pride Center says that it's been scheduled for August 22nd - with more details to come - and will feature headline performer Crystal Waters.

Pictured above, from left to right, Demetrius McCord of the Bronx Community Pride Center, Borough President Diaz and Ms. Winters (photo from the Bronx Borough President's Office).

Related:

• Bronx Borough President's Office's site here
• Bronx Beep, son of anti-gay crusader, issues pro-gay proclamation (The Village Voice, July 30, 2009)

Ruben Diaz, Jr. on his father's homophobia, Blabbeando on NY1 Noticias

Last month I posted a YouTube video of an extraordinary interview that was broadcast on "Pura Politica" - a weekly Spanish language political interest show that runs on the NY1 Noticias cable channel - in which Juan Manuel Benitez, the show's anchor - grilled homophobic NY State Senator (and Reverend) Ruben Diaz, Sr. on his vews on marriage equality as well as the separation of church and state.

Turning the Reverend's own arguments against him, Benitez got Diaz to admit that he believes that homosexual relations are akin to bestiality and that he believes that there is no such thing as separation between church and state (tell that to those who say that the Reverend is not really homophobic and that gays would love him if they got to know him a little better).

I took some time to actually translate the whole interview and to provide subtitles in English as annotations to the YouTube videos in order to make them available to a wider audience. What I didn't expect was for Benitez to go on air a week later and thank me for the effort and actually feature of an image Blabbeando on the NY1 Noticias (more on that at the end of this post).

The interview with Diaz, Sr. ran on June 24th, the Blabbeando kudos ran on July 3rd, and - researching the NY1 Noticias site for the latter - I found out that Benitez also interviewed Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. on July 12th! Jr., as you will probably not be shocked to hear, is Sr.'s son.

Above, I've posted a translated version of the last interview segment. The common perception is that Jr. is very LGBT friendly, and I know for a fact that he has welcomed the support of Latino LGBT leaders and has championed LGBT rights, stoping short of backing marriage equality - but his refusal to fully confront his father on the damage he does to the Latino LGBT community negates most of the good Jr. expresses towards the LGBT community. Benitez, who managed to get Sr. all tongue-tied about his views in the earlier interview, also manages to get Jr. to stumble on explaining whether he would support someone who declares that there is no separation between church and state if it wasn't for the fact that the Reverend is his father. As the segment opens, Jr. has just been asked what he thinks about his father's assertion on NY1 Noticias that homosexuality is akin to bestiality:

JUAN MANUEL BENITEZ: Your reaction...
RUBEN DIAZ, JR.: Well, obviously the Senator has his beliefs as a Reverend and I don't tell him - 'Papi' - how to vote in Albany and if he doesn't... We have an agreement: He doesn't tell me how to be borough president, I don't tell him how to vote in Albany. Eh, I am not in agreement with him comparing gays with animals, obviously; and I always tell my father that it's not necessarily the positions he has, but that when he takes it - when he takes a position - that he should do it in a way that is respectful of other communities... On my part, I as a borough president, I will continue to be president of 1.4 million residents in the borough of The Bronx, many of whom are gay. And, eh, the Reverend has his position, I love him a lot, and the only thing I say to the Reverend is that - in the future - he should also take into consideration how that position is viewed in other communities.
JMB: Because we asked him about it - He is a Reverend and he is a State Senator, perhaps he has two... but, well.. We asked him a very important thing - that seems important to us - because it's one of the basic principles of democracy in the United States. Let's listen...

JMB: You don't establish a separation between the church & state?
RUBEN DIAZ, SR.: I can't! The Constitution does not say "there is a separation between church and state." I'll tell you what has happened: The nine judges of the Supreme Court interpret it in that way.
JMB: So, following your argument, there is no separation between church and state in the United States...
DIAZ, SR.: There cannot be! Because I AM the State and I AM the Church.
JMB: And you told me...
DIAZ, SR.: I AM the Church and I AM the State. I cannot separate me from myself.

DIAZ, JR.: The constitution says that there should be a separation between the church and the state. Eh, there are many elected officials, not only the Reverend Ruben Diaz, who make decisions - as legislators - keeping their religious beliefs in mind. But at the end of the day we have homework to do, we have a responsibility of trying in the best way possible to separate the two. So I am not in agreement when he says that there is no sep.. sep..
JMB: Separation...
DIAZ, JR.: ...separation from the church. I believe there is, it's clearly stated in the federal constitution as well as in the constitution of the State of New York.
JMB: And is there a separation between father and son and political partners? Because as a father and a son, I imagine that you hold a special love for your father and do not want to go against him. But as a politician, you both belong to a political party, the Bronx Democratic party, in which both of you occupy public office. Have you ever entertained not supporting your father for having - I wouldn't say opinions related to gay marriage - but when it comes to take a look at the political function and the separation between church and state. Would you, for example, support a candidate that clearly states that he/she doesn't see a separation between church and state?
DIAZ, JR.: Depends on, eh, eh... I believe that, depending on the candidate, eh... I am not going to... eh... choose or support a person who is opposed to the Reverend Ruben Diaz, eh, but I do, as a son, know how to separate the two things. Politically speaking, we are not in agreement on a myriad of issues and topics. As a son - he as my father - I would never personally in my life - eh - will put myself to debate against him as my father. No... no... no... no... no... I will not fight him. But as a politician and a colleague in government we always fight. In private, as father and son, what Papi says, that's what goes. In the same way that when Mami tells me something that's what goes. I don't fight Mami, I won't fight Papi. Senator Diaz, I do fight him from time to time.
JMB: You, for example - as a way to give you a practical example - Would you automatically disqualify a candidate for the presidency of the United States if, among his/her political ideas, there appears that idea of "there is no separation between church and state"?
DIAZ, JR.: Yes, the answer is yes, and that's why I will never in my life support the Reverend Ruben Diaz as President of the United States.
DIAZ, JR.: Well, egh, ah, ah, ah... I supp... I supp... I would support a Democrat, a person who fights for education. Sometimes there will be Democrats who are liberal, other Democrats such as the Reverend Ruben Diaz who are conservative. And that's what's beautiful about our party: That there is a lot of diversity underneath that... that... of... of... of this party. And, in this case, we have a Democrat who is conservative. It won't be the first time or the last time that I would support a Democrat who is conservative. There also Democrats who are liberal, who I also support.

In the mantime, below is also a clip from the "Pura Politica" in which Blabbeando was mentioned. I've only translated the elevant part, which begins at 2:45 and ends at 3:55.


JUAN MANUEL BENITEZ: Ah, 'marriage'. So questioned, so trivialized, with little success nowadays. Why then would the gays want to get married? If they stopped pushing so much for marriage, they would perhaps leave 'Papi' - as the Bronx President calls State Senator Ruben Diaz (his father) - without his principal political argument. Thanks to the English-language blog "Blabbeando" our interview last week is causing an impact on the Anglo blogosphere, and it's that they have taken the time to translate it in it's entirety to English and using subtitles. To it's author, Andres Duque, "Thank you!"

Thanks for the thanks, "Pura Politica"!

Update:

• Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. honors Bronx Pride Day (July 31, 2009)

Bronx journalist takes on Rev. Ruben Diaz' homophobia

Gary Axelbank, who used to host a news show on the Bronxnet public-access channel, has posted an OpEd video on West Bronx News challenging NYS Senator Ruben Diaz on issues related to homophobia, a woman's right to choose, and separation of church and state (The Senator is also an ordained Minister).

If you have read Blabbeando over the years, you know I have been a leading critic of Senator Diaz, so believe me when I say that when a well-known straight Bronx journalist takes him on, it's just great!

Axelbank is specifically taking on a number of ads that the Reverend bought on several Bronx newspapers when his sweetheart deal with State Majority Leader Malcom Smith as part of the so-called "Gang of Three" seemed to fall apart in December.

In the OpEd, Axelbank asks for viewers to post replies. Unfortunately Michael Benjamin, a Bronx Assemblyman, has already come to Diaz' defense.

Please tell Diaz that his homophobic world-view is 100% wrong. Support Axelbank by leaving a supportive comment on his post.

Here is what my good friend (and lomg-time Bronx LGBT rights advocate) Charles Rice-Gonzalez wrote:

Gary, I applaud your commentary. Reverend Diaz has been consistent for decades with his anti-gay stance and religious based agenda. From the first time he came to mainstream media’s attention in 1994 proclaiming that the Gay Games in New York that year would spread AIDS in the city, to his resignation from the Civilian Complaint Review Board because of the constant protest from the LGBT community, to his attacks on the Harvey Milk School and his bussing in evangelical Christians from the tri-state area to stage a protest against gay marriage on the steps of the Bronx County Courthouse, he has crusaded against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. And his stance on reproductive rights has been clear. And since becoming elected to public office he has not abided by the constitution’s “separation of church and state,” but has joined church and state in a union that benefits his religious and personal views.

Assemblyman Michael Benjamin says, that he does represent the views of his constituents. I’m sure Reverend Ruben Diaz agrees. But they are not talking about the whole picture, because I am a constituent and he doesn’t represent my views. Nor does he represent the views of the thousands of LGBT people who live and work in the Bronx. He doesn’t represent the views of the thousands of youth and seniors and people of all ages who frequent the Bronx Community Pride Center, or the views of the straight and gay Bronxites who work on the staffs of elected officials, hospitals, clinics, community-based organizations, businesses and arts organizations in the borough.

It’s embarrassing for the Bronx to have one of the most vocal homophobes in the country. And to have Michael Benjamin supporting him is astonishing. I knew Michael Benjamin as a supporter of the arts and diversity. He was on the board of the Point Community Development Corporation and even had a ceremony at BAAD! during his early days. BAAD! is a space that celebrates and embraces diversity which is the norm in society. The Bronx is made up of men, women, transgender people, people of all colors, ages and sexual orientations. Diversity isn’t a slogan or a politically correct word, but a reality of the world. Difference exists and it’s embarrassing to the Bronx to have elected officials working feverishly, spending public dollars and reciting hate-filled rhetoric to oppress any segment of their constituency. Even if there was just one gay person in the reverend’s district, he should be ashamed to put out anti-gay or anti-woman propaganda.

But he is shameless.

Ironically, the “separation of church and state” in the constitution was meant to protect religious freedom. So that people can practice whatever religion they want without interference from the state. It seems that Reverend Ruben Diaz has been pretty free, and uses that freedom to oppress others.

But he will lose the fight against gay marriage. He may win a battle here and there, but he will eventually lose. I say this, because I look at the changes taking place in states all across the country. And these changes will lead to more changes. The reverend knows this which is why he is fighting so hard. He knows things are changing. So, the louder he shouts, the more energized I feel and the prouder I feel as a gay Latino man in the Bronx. I have seen the change in this borough that has come about because people like me care about ourselves and love our communities and our people more than Reverend Ruben Diaz can hate.

Politics: Bronx borough prez Carrion for HUD head? Vet this first!

Let's say I have never been a fan of Latin American caudillo politics even when local Latino politicians seek to recreate them here in the United States (see "Dizzying Bronx Family Tales Spawn Unlikely Alliances" from the City Room blog at The New York Times).

So while I am glad that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is emerging as a likely candidate for Commerce Secretary in the Obama government, I am less than thrilled to hear that current Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. is being considered as the head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Yes: Carrion, who in the past has been an associate pastor at a Bronx church, has been less homophobic than his Pentecostal preacher buddy (and State Senator) Ruben Diaz, Sr. - but he certainly has not taken a strong pro-LGBT stand and has tried to keep his involvement in LGBT issues on the down low.

In 2004, under his watch, his office allowed the largest ever anti-gay marriage rally in New York City (see photo above, more here) - and refused inquiries as to his office's involvement in allowing permits for the politically-biased demonstration (a "No to Homosexual Marriages, Yes to President George Bush's Amendment" banner was allowed to hang on the facade of the Bronx Court).

Grass roots LGBT orgs have also criticized his appearances (and lack of support) for Bronx pride events in 2006 and 2007.

I certainly don't want to be unfair or harsh to Mr. Carrion. In a great 2005 interview in Latino Journal he is asked about the brutal beating of a gay teenager and he responded as follows:

These tragic incidences demonstrate that we've lost a grip on sort of a moral barometer. Some people who talk about moral issues, will banish the gay community and the lesbian and transgender community as being immoral, which creates the environment that says, 'you can go out and beat up on these people because they are immoral.' What I've done with the clergy in the Bronx is to flip it on its head, because I say that the most tolerant community has to be the religious community. The clergy has a social responsibility to help us govern a society that is tolerant, accepting and embracing of diversity

I just wish he was on the record as to that huge anti-marriage rally in the Bronx, his office's lack of support for gay pride events in the borough and his views on marriage rights for same-sex couples in New York.

Related:

• The Gang of Four... no, Three... hm, Two... er, None? (Nov. 24, 2008)

This weekend: Sticky Pages 3 is "oso beeyootiful"

Artists, bears, beer and comic books, oh my! It might get a little bit sticky which is actually the point.

"Sticky Pages 3: Oso Oro" takes place at the LGBT Center this Saturday.

The event is being put together by my friend (and amazing cartoonist) Ivan Velez and is meant to celebrate bears of colors everywhere. He promises it will be "oso beeyootiful!"

Who knows, I might even show up!

Ivan is the author of the influential and seminal comic book series "Tales of the Closet". It literally changed my life. Check it out if you're in the city.

Previously on Blabbeando:

• Sticky Pages: Queer comic book artists at LGBT Center (June 7, 2007)

ITN: Gay man killed in Mexico after being denied refugee status in Canada, trans panic, more Dupree, Bronx Pride woes

In the news on a Saturday night:

Mexican gay man killed: Canadian gay weekly X-tra is reporting that a Mexican gay man who was denied refugee status in Canada four years ago - and had no option but to go back to the country he said he feared - was found shot to death in his Mexican apartment on April 7th of this year.

According to the article, Mexican authorities believe the murder of 35 year old Enrique Villegas (pictured) was drug-related but friends of Villegas in Vancouver say that this is unlikely because he was clean as a whistle and didn't even smoke cigarettes while he lived in Canada. They also believe that he might have been killed by a homeless person Villegas had taken under his wing who might have taken advantage of Villegas because he was gay.

The article does a great job in analyzing the complexities of refugee / asylum cases from countries that Canada might consider to be gay-friendly (particularly with recent gay rights advances in Latin America). Ultimately, though, as someone who has helped hundreds of people navigate the asylum process in the United States, I'm not so sure that the murder in itself - whether it was drug related or at the hands of a man Villegas picked-up from the streets - means that Canada erred in denying refugee status as his friends seem to indicate.

The murder - under either scenario - does not seem to rise to the level of social, institutional, governmental or political persecution which is the basis of such claims in the United States as well as Canada.

Trans panic: In a police blotter blurb that has gone mostly unnoticed in this city, 24 year old Quasim Harris went "bezerk" in early Tuesday morning when he found out that his date was a transgender woman while at her Crown Heights apartment. He first beat her in the face with an iron (classy!) and then came back and stole a stereo, a TV set and and video game console (classier!). No other details in the case.

Also, in not so caliente news: At least local press has taken notice of Khadijah Farmer and the uncomfortable situation that she experienced at the West Village Caliente Cab Co. restaurant on pride day. When this happens in the gayest part of town it's time to wonder just how welcome we are in this city.

Mike Dupree looks for a job: In the meantime, the Mike Dupree story refuses to die. A sampling from this week's coverage:

• Ex-Dallas County constable pleads guilty to misdemeanor (The Dallas Morning News, July 7, 2007)
• Dupree weights future outside law enforcement (The Dallas Voice, July 6, 2007)
• Talk Isn't Cheap (Dallas Observer, July 5, 2007)
• It's a shame that Dupree faces little punishment beyond disgrace (The Dallas Morning News, July 4, 2007)

And finally, post-Bronx Pride woes: Last year we told you that Lisa Winters was not a happy woman after having to jump through hoops to get a permit for a pride event in the Bronx after years of not having one. Sorry to tell you but Lisa Winters is still not a happy woman after this year's event.

It's a topic on which we might expand in the future. For now we'll leave you with the following limited reports which do not address the fact that there is actually a vibrant LGBT community in the Bronx nor the fact that Bronx Borough President and rumored future mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrión speaks volumes by being silent and not stepping in to resolve the situation.... for the second year in a row.

• Where gay doesn't pay (The Village Voice, June 19, 2007)
• Dark rumblings during a rainbow moment (The New York Times, July 8, 2007)

A blog is born: Sonnets from the Fireescape

August 15th will mark the 2 year anniversary of this blog. A quarter of a million hits later, we are struggling to keep up to date or to find the time to write about all that we would like to write about.

Still, blogs are born every single day and we still remember the warm reception that we got when we launched. So when I get an e-mail message thanking me for creating this blog and for showing the way, I can't fail but feel all warm and nice inside. That it comes from a Bronx-based married gal (and mom) means even more since it shows that what I write is having an impact beyond gay circles.

So, without further ado, join me in welcoming Sonnets from the Fireescape to the Blabbeando blog-roll. Thanks TS for the props!

Latino LGBT Pride in NYC: 2004

Continuing our look at Latino LGBT organizing in New York through some of the photos I've taken through the years...

copyrighted photos - to post, please ask for permission: blabbeando@gmail.com

Above - Taking a stand outside the Bronx Courthouse, Sunday, March 14, 2004: When conservative Latino religious organizations throughout the northeast asked parishioners to show up in big numbers at a rally in support of President Bush's constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, more than 5,000 people showed up. A few of us also showed up to counter their message and that of the homophobic State Senator (and Reverend) Ruben Diaz, Sr. Full story here.

Below - Heritage of Pride march, June 27, 2004: Venezuelan Gays United in full feather regalia perform before the judge's stand. I was a judge that year and I believe they were nominated for a couple of awards though I swear I tried to be as impartial as possible. They were pretty good though. Rumor says that this year they'll be back in feathers although the colors might change.

Latino LGBT Pride in NYC: 1998

Continuing our look at Latino LGBT organizing in New York through some of the photos I've taken through the years...

copyrighted photo - to post, please ask for permission: blabbeando@gmail.com

1st ever Bronx LGBT Pride Parade, July 10th, 1998: Yes, Virginia, there once was a pride march down the Grand Concourse Avenue in the Bronx.

Here we have the Puerto Rican Initiative to Develop Empowerment (P.R.I.D.E.) - which was founded in 1995 - joining other organizations on that fateful day. The march would not have been possible without the economic or political support of then-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer (who would later be defeated in the mayoral race that led to the coronation of current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg). Alas, the pride march only lasted a couple of years.

On that first parade there were nearly no people watching on the sidewalks and it probably caught those who were walking-by by surprise. But it nevertheless was a victory for LGBT leaders in the Bronx (like Marisol Santiago, Lisa Winters and Crystal Paris) who wanted some visibility for the community in the neighborhood.

Last year Bronx Pride was reborn in a different guise. It is no longer a pride march, instead organizers have come up with a health fair / outing at a park kinda thingie.

As a matter of fact this year's event took place today! I hope it went well! I also hope that it was free of some of the controversies of last year involving the organizers and current (Evangelical) Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion (who is rumored to be a future mayoral contender once Mike Bloomberg is termed out of office).

Sticky Pages: Queer comic book artists at LGBT Center

On Saturday, June 9th, Ivan Velez' Planet Bronx Productions is hosting a queer comic book gathering at the LGBT Center. "Sticky Pages" participants include Jennifer Camper, Allan Neuwrith of "Chelsea Boys" fame, Abby Denson and Ivan himself.

For kids that found themselves visiting or going through the Hetrick Martin Institute during the late 1980's and 1990's his work on "Tales of the Closet" probably remains indelible from their minds. Here was a multi-issue comic book that portrayed gay youth and their lives in uncompromising and direct fashion which was made available to youth at the center for free and sold to visitor for a small donation.

My acquaintance with the Bronx native goes further back to my teen years in Syracuse, New York. At the time (the early to mid-1980's) Velez drew an ongoing comic strip for the Syracuse University student newspaper The Daily Orange which also dealt with coming out issues and homosexuality and certainly made a big impact in my life.

When I found out about Planet Bronx Productions a while back, I sent Ivan a quick message thanking him for the positive impact of his work in my life. Still, despite living in the same city, we have yet to meet. I hope to thank him personally on Saturday and, for the comic book lovers out there, I hope you can make it too.

• In somewhat related news, "Queer comics seized by Canada border services" (Xtra, June 7, 2007)

CONLAMIC Watch: ...and it's just about time!

The Rev. Ruben Diaz, Sr. (at podium) shells out for the Bush mandate at a CONLAMIC-led Bronx demo in March of 2004

So we had started to worry a little about poor, sad anti-gay CONLAMIC (a/k/a Coalicion Nacional Latina de Ministros & Lideres Cristianos a/k/a the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders) when their website seemed to disappear earlier this year. Then we felt concerned that, after months of supporting an immigration bill that would allow some immigrants to become residents, they flip-flopped at the last possible minute when the bill needed true support and joined other ultra-conservative Hispanic organizations in supporting an immigration bill that did NOT offer a path to citizenship . Fear not, sell-out Hispanic religious leaders! At least CONLAMIC's website is back!

And yet not all is well. MSNBC.COM has an article today about a promising if still tentative fall-out between Karl Rove-ness and Hispanic religious leaders who sold their souls to the devil in supporting the Bush doctrine. Miguel Martinez, of CONLAMIC, is said to have attended a recent Republican National Committee meeting where he was so despondent that he exclaimed "I pray for the soul of the Republican party."

Too good to be true? I'll still wait and see.

Come back to your true community, CONLAMIC! We're here with open arms!

Previously on "CONLAMIC watch:"

• Adolfo Carrion on Hispanic evangelicals and NYC politics (April 30, 2006)
• On immigration? Still pmping for the extreme right (April 9, 2006)
• Pimping for Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist & John Roberts (Sept. 29, 2005)
• Howard Dean and the DNC miss the mark on CONLAMIC (Sept. 22, 2006)

Music: Brujeria from da Bronx

La Bruja (photo by Rosalia Rivera)

Dance music bible, Mixmag Magazine from the UK, has a surprise in their current August 2006 issue: In their Urban Tunes page they single out a new release by underground Bronx poet and performer La Bruja (in collaboration with DJ Precision) and name it as their "Compilation of the Month."

From their five-headphone review:

Brujalicious mixed by DJ Precision (De La Luz records)
Former New York model strikes gold on break-out mix album
La Bruja (aka Caridad De La Lux) is pretty enough for most ladies to wonder if her talents match her looks. Well, doubt no more - having worked her socks off as a poet, activist and actress in New York, the ex-Levis model can also rhyme in both Spanish and English with sheer grace. 'Brujali­clous' beautifully infuses upfront hip hop and reggaeton with a unique blend of lyricism, all honed on the spoken word circuit. Highlights including a quirky cover of Madonna's 'La Isla Bonita' and more traditional Puerto Rican-inspired cuts like 'Boricua, Boricua'. Mixed seamlessly by DJ Precision and with guests including Jadakiss, Tony Touch and B-Real, this really shouldn't be slept on.

Pretty cool for a home-town girl! We've always had a soft heart for La Bruja's brujeria because she has done so much for the Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in New York over the years (I remember her electrifying performance at the Pa'Fuera Pa'Lante Latino LGBT Northeastern Conference and that was more than 7 years ago!).

More recently she was featured in the Bronx's own Fruta Extraña Television after performing some of the songs from the album at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance Out Like That! Festival. She also talks about the album and her community activism and work with Que Pasa online.

You can watch a video of her new single, Mi Gatita Negra, here, hear some tracks over on La Bruja's MySpace page, or, better yet, support her by buying the album here.