By: Joseph R. Castel
Every political year, the GOP gets on their hate wagons to cause division amongst Americans. They want to make inclusion a dirty word, as they circumvent the meaning of “woke,” past tense for being ‘Awake,’ something the GOP is not. This year, Tennessee passed the first anti-drag bill in the country and to date, state legislators across the country have introduced more than 450 bills targeting LGBTQ rights, according to a tally by the American Civil Liberties Union.
For those living in Southern California, it may be difficult to gage exactly what the political and cultural climate of other states are when it comes to public treatment towards those LGBTQ communities, especially when the media is consistently reporting how bad the news is on the political front.
To get perspective on what it might be like to live as an openly gay person in a politically conservative state, Adelante reached out to former Los Angelino Hector Rodriguez, also known as, “Gipsy”. Hector, a former drag artist in the LA community, moved to Mesa four years ago and Adelante is curious to see if Arizona is whipping itself into a state of red homophobic hate, since Hector’s successful restaurant also serves up drag entertainment.
Adelante: Tell me a little about yourself, how do you identify and do you still perform?
Hector: I lived in LA for 25 years. My day job was always in fast food. I identify myself as a gay man. I am a female impersonator and club promoter. I still perform but only during special events that will help raise awareness and promote tolerance in our LGBT community.
Adelante: Where did you perform LA?
Hector: In clubs. I was the Coco Bongo Reseda promoter and the first drag reporter for a TV show called Escandalo TV from Univision networks.
Adelante: How did that come about?
Hector: It was an accident, I was once on a set with an actor friend that was filming a sketch, and the producer asked all the actors to do something in drag. They all refused, saying they had plans on being famous and it will damage their image, and since I was there with no intentions of being an actor or famous, he asked if I would do it, and here I am 26 years later. I’m still doing it and pretty famous, by the way. lol.
Adelante: Do you have an alter ego, like some of the queens or is that stereotypical?
Hector: Never. I am always very humble. I soon figure that “Gipsy,” could help promote tolerance and respect among the straight community, this was not accepted or well seen 26 years ago. I honestly hate that ego/attitude they carry, but I think it’s their shield to protect themselves. I never needed it. I respect people, so I get respect in return.
Adelante: What were some of the challenges you faced doing drag?
Hector: In drag, people will look and point at me. Sometimes, they will not let their kids get close to me as if I was a sexual abuser. I accept myself and do not care what others say. I actually took the liberty of accepting who I wanted to be in my close circle.
Adelante: You said you protested for LGBTQ rights, what did you do?
Hector: I was part of the drags who walked on the street of Revolution Blvd in Tijuana, escorted by paid police. We did not have floats, instead, we walked in heels to make ourselves visible, and now, those protests are being called Pride Festivals.
Adelante: Do you do drag now?
Hector: Yes, currently I am working on a project with the organization RipplePhx where we promote HIV awareness, give free testing and help our community get on PREP, or help them with resources: whether they are insured or not, legal or not, and we do it through a fun game called the Loteria every Thursday of the month at my restaurant, Meños Place in Mesa.
Adelante: Why did you move to Arizona, a state that’s more conservative politically?
Hector: I was promoted to district manager at the company I worked at and transferred to Arizona. My restaurant has become a safe place for the LGBT community and also a place in which our LGBT friends can bring their families and friends to enjoy a drag show and learn more about us. At my place everyone is welcome. We are located in Mesa, a Mormon city that was not too happy about having a place targeted to be safe for our community.
Adelante: Has there been a backlash towards your business since the anti-drag hysteria nationwide?
Hector: None. Politicians have actually used our place as a stop for their campaigns and promote their goals. We have been here four years already and never had any issues with anyone, even the police are happy that we have turned a place that was a problem for the city into an inclusive and safe place.
Adelante: It doesn’t look like Arizona’s anti-drag bill will pass with a Democratic governor, but if it were to pass, would it have an effect on your business?
Hector: If that was to happen I would not perform. I will dress in drag to serve and cook for my customers. There is always a loophole. So legally, we will not be performing, we would be working.
Adelante: Why do you think there is a backlash towards drag performances in public spaces?
Hector: Not sure why they are targeting us when there are so many other bad things they can focus on, rather than us.
Adelante: Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?
Hector: The war is not over. We need to come together to keep working on our rights.
To find out more about events at Gipsy’s restaurant, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/menosplacetacoshop/
For more info on RipplesPhx, visit: https://ripplephx.org/about/
