JONATHAN YOUNG/Daily Bruin
Fifth-year sociology and Chicano/a studies student Juan
Guzman speaks out at Meyerhoff Park earlier this week
about being gay and Latino.
By Hilaire Fong
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
Before he came to UCLA, Juan Guzman hid being gay for fear of
being looked down upon in his own Latino community.
Though he once had negative thoughts about his identity, Guzman
is no longer ashamed to be identified as a gay Latino male, he
said.
The fifth-year sociology and Chicano/a studies student said he
now realizes ““ and is proud ““ that he belongs to a
group different from any other group on campus, and he encourages
others to accept their own ethnicity and sexual orientation.
Programs such as this week’s “The Other Side of the
Rainbow: A Queers of Color Cultural Celebration,” bring
“issues to the forefront” and “speak to the
diversity of the queer community,” Guzman said.
Within the Latino community is a lot of religious homophobia,
Guzman said. For Latinos, machismo ““ the idea that men are
supposed to be very aggressive and heterosexual ““ is
ingrained in the community, he said.
“You always hear from your fathers and your uncles that
you have to be strong and pursue a masculine career,” Guzman
said. “This constrains the way you speak, act, and
dress.”
Growing up in and going to a predominantly Caucasian
neighborhood and school in San Fernando Valley considerably
impacted Guzman, causing him to suffer from “internal
racism,” where he turned against his Latino culture, he
said.
“I had to face my internal racism before I could face my
sexuality,” Guzman said.
Fearing possible reactions from his traditional Mexican Catholic
family and church, Guzman did not even consider revealing his
sexual orientation in high school.
UCLA is much more diverse than the neighborhood Guzman was
raised in, he said. Through ethnic studies classes, he became more
proud of his heritage.
“In those classes, there was material that was not
available in mainstream classes, like sexuality,” Guzman
said.
During his first year, Guzman began to meet and spend time with
other gay Latinos. He became involved in the group La Familia,
which is specifically for Latinos in the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender community. That year, Guzman told his best friend and a
priest that he was gay. The priest reacted negatively, Guzman said,
telling Guzman he knew a psychiatrist that could “cure”
him.
It was not for another two years until Guzman, with support from
La Familia, revealed his sexual orientation to his family and to
other close friends.
At first, Guzman’s mother, who was very religious, did not
want him to tell anyone else, he said.
His mother took him to another priest, who, Guzman said, was
surprisingly supportive. After two weeks, Guzman’s mother
accepted his sexuality.
“Coming out has been a long, gradual process,”
Guzman said. “It was a lot better than I expected.
“Many people do not realize that queers of color suffer
homophobia from their own communities.” Guzman said.
“People just think that there is one large umbrella
category that we all fall under.”