This Week in Latino Sexuality

I'm exhausted! Working five jobs this summer means there will be some months that I just can't get to write a blog post. I'm working on it, trust me. I have 3 blog posts on 3 great topics just in the "saved" mode. They are works in progress. Stay with me. Also, my birthday is in a week, well more like 6 days. Today is when July Leo's get to REPRESENT! Happy Birthday to all the July Leo's.

In the meantime; what do ya'll think of the new Latina vampire on True Blood? She made her premiere this past Sunday!

I'm going to go to 3 films for the New York International Film Festival, will anybody else be there? What films are you thinking of going to see? Do you have thoughts like I do about the lack of female directors on the 100+ film lineup?

Marty Klein has a new post about the sexuality content and themes in books and the reactions/perceptions of these texts by librarians and parents. My favorite quote:

The thing I said that apparently moved the audience most?
The two most important questions to teens are: “Who am I? Am I normal?”
In a healthy person, investigating and answering these questions must involve sexuality. And that sometimes involves arousal. Life is titillating. Teens have their radar up for eroticism; we can’t possibly eliminate it.

If you haven't yet, check out my review of Maxwell's new album: BLACKsummers'night.

Recently published was the Muslim Women Power List that includes 25 leading Muslim women from the UK. (and for those of you wonder, there are Latino Muslims!)

I'm glad to see that my work at the Child Welfare League of America almost 10 years ago is moving along to some extent. A new article addresses how teen pregnancy rates can decrease among teens in foster care (I wonder if they will include teens who identify as lesbian and/or bisexual because they can become pregnant too!)

Sadly, there are reports that the number of deaths among Latinos at work are increasing.


Finally, here are a few clips I'm using in my class when talking of objectification, agency, power, control, and women controlling the gaze. This is one of my favorite films about youth of Color, relationships, sexuality, and dating: Raising Victor Vargas!



I'm also using this clip from Girlfight to discuss the same topics. This film is *SO* powerful on numerous levels. Director Karyn Kusama is coming out with a new film soon! It's been too long that female directors don't get the support and recognition they deserve (take not NYILFF!)

Sunday Night Common Sense

UPDATE 11/23/2019
Unfortunately this author has believed the lies of white supremacy and has promoted dehumanization of various community members. This post and others will include this update for accountability and archival purposes.

I've reviewed a fabulous book for one of my editors called Vodou Love Magic: A Practical Guide to Love, Sex, and Relationships by Kenaz Filan, which is a book for practitioners and those interested in this belief and value system.

There were incredible quotes from this book and I'd like to share one that I think is so important for many of us.

“By forcing your partner to take responsibility, you are treating him or her like an adult. You are giving the most precious (and most frightening) gift of all—the gift of responsibility and independence, with all that comes with it....you deserved to be loved for yourself, as yourself, and BY yourself."

p. 48-49

I'm Official

I've joined the team at Anti-Racist Parent to write about sexuality, gender, youth, class, ethnicity, race, and other aspects of our identity. I'm working on a post about the topic of "sexual bullying" and some posts about how our sexuality develops over time, especially with children! The link above is my introduction as a writer, with a brief bio.

Endangered Species

In Thursday's class we will listen to and discuss Dianne Reeves' song "Endangered Species" from her 1993 album Art & Survival. I usually have my homegirl RW visit the class to present as she is an ethnomusicologist. Unfortunately, her schedule didn't allow for her to visit us.

Dianne Reeves is one of the youngest female jazz vocalist to win grammy's. She did the score for the film Goodnight and Goodluck for which her last grammy was won.

Her album Art & Survival is not listed on her website, and it is the only one of her albums that has not been reissued. This album had lots of African influence after her trip throughout the continent. Her song "Endangered Species" brings to light a lot of issues that women of Color encounter, historically and currently.

If you are unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics:

I am an endangered species
But I sing no victim's song
I am a woman I am an artist
And I know where my voice belongs

I am a woman I exist
I shake my fist but not my hips
My skin is dark my body is strong
I sign of rebirth no victim's song

I am an endangered species
But I sing no victim's song
I am a woman I am an artist
And I know where my voice belongs

They cut out my sex they bind my feet
Silence my reflex no tongue to speak
I work in the fields I work in the store
I type up the deals and I mop the floors
I am an endangered species
But I sing no victim's song
I am a woman I am an artist
And I know where my voice belongs

My body is fertile I bring life about
Drugs, famine, and war, take them back out
My husband can beat me his right they say
And rape isn't rape you say I like it that way

I am an endangered species
But I sing no victim's song
I am a woman I am an artist
And I know where my voice belongs
I know where my soul belongs
I know where I belong

Here is the song:


I use this to discuss how women's voices are literally and figuratively silenced.

Latina Sexuality in Poems

I've started teaching my class Women, Art & Culture. Today we read our first poem from the book Loose Woman Poems by Sandra Cisneros.

It's funny how some poems come back to you. I've been teaching this class for over five years and always go back to reread them. This poem spoke to me this time around for many different reasons. Often I'm an "outsider" when reading some poems, other times it's as if poems capture exactly what I'm experiencing.

Our first poem is "Perras" which I've provided below:

I can't imagine that goofy white woman
with you. Her pink skin on your dark.
Your tongue on hers. I can't
imagine without laughing.
Who would've thought.

Not her ex-boyfriend--
your good ol' ex-favorite best buddy,
the one you swore was thicker than kin,
blood white brother, friend--
who wants to slit you open like a pig
and i don't blame him.

Isn't it funny.
He acting Mexican.
You acting white.

I can't imagine this woman.
Nor your white ex-wife. Nor any
of those you've hugged and held,
so foreign from the country we shared.

Damn. Where's your respect?
You could've used a little imagination.
Picked someone I didn't know. Or at least,
a bitch more to my liking.

p. 58

Today is Sonia Sotomayor Day

You may watch the hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor (the first Latina nominated to the US Supreme Court). This is history in the making. OUR history. If you have a television, or a computer, you may watch the hearing on CNN.

Here's a PSA created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, sent to me by my homegirl Sofia Quintero, about Sotomayor being appointed to the US Supreme Court.

Sunday Night Common Sense

Today I'm feeling Dr. Roxanne Shanté, especially for this evening's quote. Here's a quote from my absolutely favorite Roxanne Shanté song Queen Pin:

Untouchable Queen Pin
The most relentless in the business
Making money without men
Sittin', stackin' her riches

Here's the full song: