Si Soy Gay - by Santo Gay

500,000 celebrate GLBT Pride in Mexico City

A young man looks down from a float in the parade

NOTE: to view slide show of pictures, click photo above.  Photos by Jesus Chairez

By Jesus Chairez, Contributing writer -news from the Chicago Free Press

MEXICO CITY—The 29th annual Mexico City LGBT Pride Parade, with the theme “Naming Realities—Changing Societies,” was celebrated in Mexico’s capital city June 30.

The Pride Parade, with 220,000 marchers and over 100 entries, started at the Angel of Independence in Mexico City’s La Zona Rosa (Pink Zone), a gay central business district filled with hotels, coffee shops, numerous clubs and boutiques.

The parade’s beginning point, the Angel, is located on the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s grand avenue originally built in the 1860s by Emperor Maximilian. From the Angel the parade moved though the city’s central historic district and ended at the Zocalo, where Mexico’s National Palace, the country’s central seat of government, is located.

The beginning of the parade was lead by Colectivo T: Transgender, Transsexual and Travesti and a large contingent of lesbian marchers.

“This year’s march was the largest ever,” said Super Gay, a gay Lucha Libre persona who is well known for fighting homophobia in Mexico City. “Take into consideration this year that the march entered the Zocalo for the first time ever using two different streets, 5 de Mayo and Madero.”

Though there were 220,000 participants in the parade, organizers of the march estimated 500,000 people total at the event, including those watching from the sidelines.

This year’s event drew the largest crowds ever to celebrate Mexico City and the Northeastern state of Coahuila passing civil unions legislation. People from all over the country came to show their pride and to celebrate their ability to finally have civil unions.

Hey try to make these movies at the Latino Culture Center by Gay Director Pedro Almodóvar. They are free!! So please go so the LCC will continue to provide more great programs for out LGBT Community.

Santo Gay

By Daniel A. Kusner Life+Style Editor, Dallas Voice

Latino Culture Center launches 6-week fest celebrating queer director’s oeuvre

NICE GUNS: The series’ first film,“Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” screens this Saturday.

When it comes to crafting films featuring strong women, Pedro Almodóvar is arguably the greatest contemporary director.

And right beside his feminist heroines, the Spanish cineast rotates a riveting mix pimps, hookers, crooks, transvestites, nuns with AIDS and other representatives of lowlife. But when he’s depicting the disreputable, Almodóvar wields a loving, generous spirit. You could take your mom to any of his punk-culture melodramas.

Dallas is in for a nifty treat: The Latino Culture Center is devoting almost two months of its “Films in Spanish” series to Almodóvar. And of the six Pedro films, none of them are weak. Almodóvar has made approximately 17 feature films since “Pepe, Luci and Bom,” his first international title, which was released in 1980.

Almodóvar does have detractors: Some criticize that he recycles his stories. And in 1994, he did subject fans to the painfully flat “Kika,” which had many worry about his predictability. However, if you look at his career in 2007, it’s safe to say that he’s been on a hot streak for quite some time. But even a so-so Almodóvar movie is better than anything coming out of Hollywood.

Oh yeah, he’s the only director Penelope Cruz should ever work with. And if you’ve never seen Cruz perform in her native tongue, Penelope in Spanish emerges as a cinema goddess.

All films are free and will have English subtitles. They screen Saturdays at 2 p.m. at the Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak Street. 214-671-0045. DallasCulture.org/latinocc

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July 7: “Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios”
(Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” 1989)
Carmen Maura stars as an actress who’s just been dumped by her married lover. In the midst of trying to track him down for a face-to-face confrontation, she crosses paths with her lover’s son (Antonio Banderas), his unbalanced wife (Julieta Serrano) and his new girlfriend (Kiti Manver). English subtitles, 89 min.

Pedro Almodóvar

July 14: “Todo sobre mi madre”
(“All About My Mother, 1999”)
After her son is killed in an accident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a young nun who turns out to be pregnant. English subtitles, 101 min.

July 21: “Hable con Ella”
(“Talk to Her,” 2002)
Marco (Dario Grandinetti) is in love with Lydia (Rosario Flores), a female bullfighter who is gored by a bull and sent into a coma. Marco crosses paths with Benigno (Javier Camara), a male nurse who looks after another coma patient, a young dancer named Alicia (Leonor Watling). From Benigno’s gentle attentiveness to Alicia, Marco learns to take care of Lydia.

Aug 4: “La Flor de mi Ssecreto”
(“The Flower of My Secret,” 1995)
A rambling comedy about a romance novelist (Marisa Paredes) whose crumbling marriage has left her depressed and unable to work. At a low point, she writes a scathing indictment of her own books which are penned under another name — with no one realizing critic and author are one and the same. English subtitles, 106 min.

Aug. 11: “Matador,” 1986
A stylish black comedy about dark sides of human nature: an ex-bullfighter gets turned on by killing; a lady lawyer has the same problem; and a young man driven insane over-religious upbringing. Starring Antonio Banderas. English subtitles, 106 minutes.

Aug: 18 “La Mala Educación”
(“Bad Education,” 2004)
Handsome, enigmatic Ángel (Gael García Bernal) arrives at the Spanish movie offices of director Enrique Goded (Fele Martinez) and proclaims that he’s Enrique’s long-lost chum Ignacio. Ángel, a novice actor, pitches a screenplay in which he’s determined to start a revenge-laden reflection of the doomed love he and Enrique shared.

México City, MÉXICO – The 29th annual Pride Parade (XXIX Marcha del Orgullo Lésbico, Gay, Bisexual y Transexual (LGBT), titled “, “Nombrando realidades… cambiemos sociedades” (Naming Realities – Changing Societies) in México City was held Saturday, June 30, 2007. AND it was the best yet!!

The Pride March, of 220,000 marchers and over 100 entries, started at the Angel of Independence on the Paseo de la Reforma, México City’s grand avenue originally built in the 1860’s by Emperor Maximilian.

From the Angel we all moved though México City’s Central Historical district and ended at the Zócalo where México’s National Palace, the México’s central seat of government is located – think White House.

The beginning of the parade was lead by “Colectivo T” (Collective T: Transgender, Transsexual, and Travesti) and Lesbians.

Super Gay, a gay Lucha Libre persona that fights homophobia in México City said the Marcha was the largest he has seen, if you “Take in consideration this year the marcha entered the Zocalo for the first time ever using two different streets, 5 de Mayo and Madero.” Though there were 220,000 participants in the parade it was more like 500,000 people total at the event when you take into account those watching from the sidelines.

I would say that this year’s event was the largest pride parade because México City and the state of Coahuila just this year allowed Civil Unions. People from all the county México came to show their pride and to celebrate their ability to finally have civil unions.

The following day, México City’s newspapers downplayed the significance this years gay pride parade by indicating that there were only 15,000 to 18,000 people at the event!!!

One newspapers headlines concerning the parade said, that some participants at the parade did not dress like “mariposas” (fags). So it’s like, WOW, some of these gay people look like straight.

Though México City may have become politically liberal, there is still a lot of work to be done concerning LGBT sensitivity that needs to be practiced by the Mexican media.

To view all the XXIX Marcha del Orgullo Lésbico, Gay, Bisexual y Transexual (LGBT) 2007 pictures taken in Mexico City, MEXICO on Saturday, June 30, 2007.  Pictures by Jesus Chaírez ©

  Please click the photo below to see the slide show

photo of Super Gay

Yes, HE IS GONE!! Though I think Dupree should have served jail time for what he did, it is still good that he is gone!

Dupree resigns, still maintains his innocence
By Staff Reports - Dallas Voice

Jun 28, 2007, 20:06

Gay constable agrees to deal following release of report detailing complaints, judge’s ruling sending the case to trial

Mike Dupree

A day after resigning and agreeing to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge, gay Precinct 5 Constable Mike Dupree defiantly maintained his innocence on Friday, June 29.

“I was really backed into a corner on my options of what to do on this,” Dupree told Dallas Voice. “It seemed that this was just a very carefully planned and orchestrated conspiracy to get me out of office.”

Dupree’s resignation came hours after a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to warrant a jury trial to determine whether the constable should be removed from office. Dupree, who faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment and corruption, had been under investigation for months by both Dallas County and the state Attorney General.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Dupree will receive deferred adjudication on a misdemeanor charge of abuse of public office, meaning he will not face jail time. He also agreed not to seek public office in Texas again and will relinquish his peace officer license. All pending cases against him will be dropped.

The Commissioners Court was to appoint a temporary replacement for Dupree on Friday and a permanent one in the near future, according to reports.

At Thursday’s hearing, retired Judge Richard Mays ruled that multiple affidavits of complaints presented to him met the guidelines for calling a civil trial. Mays was appointed to hear the case in an effort to ensure impartiality because it involves a Dallas County official.

Dan Wyde, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Dupree employees and the state, amended his original petition this week to increase the number of plaintiffs to 10. The petition alleged that Dupree had created a hostile work environment because of sexual overtures he made to several male employees; that he had threatened and retaliated against employees who rebuffed his advances; and that he had ordered one or more employees to commit criminal acts.

“He has caused irreparable harm and damage to Dallas County and his department,” Wyde told the judge. “This conduct cannot stand. It imperils Dallas County.”

Commissioner John Wylie Price, who attended the hearing along with several other county officials, said Dupree had been given the option to resign before the employee’s complaints became public, but the constable refused.

“He’s had plenty of opportunities to resign,” Price said. “A resignation would be the best for everybody’s interest.”

The complaints against Dupree originally involved a small number of employees complaining about sexual harassment, but that has grown to include a larger number of employees making more serious allegations of wrongdoing, according to Commissioner’s Court coordinator Allen Clemson.

“The more you look, the more you find,” Clemson said. “It’s been a snowball effect. I would have done almost anything to avoid the public revelation of what we’ve found.”

Clemson said there have also been complaints that Dupree used taxpayer’s resources for personal gain, such as helping him get re-elected.

Price dismissed Dupree’s claim that he is being railroaded as part of a conspiracy to rid Dallas County of gay officials as illogical.

“It’s a red herring,” said Price, who noted Dupree has been in law enforcement for 27 years, including five years as constable. “I’ve always known he was gay. Why would it start now?

“He can’t hide behind that. That dog doesn’t hunt.”

On Tuesday, Price had released a 67-page investigative report conducted by retired Judge Maryellen Hicks on behalf of the county.

The report detailed some of the lurid allegations against Dupree, which were corroborated by dozens of employees in his office.