Gaybriel Discusses Everything Gay And Latino: All You Wanted To Know About The Word Maricón, But Were Afraid To Ask
7 December 2007, 4:00 PM. By Carlos Posas
In Latin America homosexuals are still considered the unfortunate other. Even progressive homochummy Latinos are sometimes clueless as to how to deal with their gay friends. An issue that sometimes reflects this country’s prevailing attitudes towards Latinos in general. We’re living in an era where Latinos, like gays, are demonized to the point where it is considered righteous, even patriotic, to bash, degrade, and even kill Latinos and immigrants. To gay people, this inquisition sounds all too familiar. For your edification in all things homo, gaythority Bosrican is gonna dig deep into the thresh-holes of gay Latino subject matter. We’ll see if your rectum is truly straight.
As we wrote about a while ago, Ambiguously-Hispanic Bill Richardson, in a 2006 appearance on Don Imus’ radio show, called a radio show staff member a maricón (that’s faggot en español) for doubting Richardson’s Latinoness. Although Richardson was pressured into doing so by the negro-adverse host, the incident angered some Latinos while most of us just cringed and shrugged it off. Richardson later pseudo-apologized for the faux pas and said that maricón, in Mexico, means “sissy” and not homosexual. Um, OK! Like the word nigger, the word maricón and its infinite Latin American variations carries with it an incredible amount of baggage and emotions attached to it. And to complicate matters, Latino cultures have wildly divergent but often negative attitudes towards homosexuality even in this day and age.
Turns out the word Maricón is a pejorative derivative of the name Maria. Historically it was used to describe men who were perceived to be effeminate or have feminine characteristics, like speech, body type, or the high heels they wore. The Spanish version of the Oxford English Dictionary is published by La Real Academia Española. Their dictionary defines one of my favorite words as:
maricón.
1. marica (an effeminate man)
2. sodomite (a man who commits sodomy)
3. a vulgar insult
Oh no she dihnt! I have so many problems with that. Taken together, this telling trifecta nicely encompasses the prevailing attitudes towards queers in Latin American cultures. Defining homosexuals as sodomites reduces gayness in general, and gay men in particular, to (very hot, you should try it) anal sex. And, as witnessed by this academic and very endorsed definition, that is still considered a sin, even if it’s practiced by a nice straight catholic girl. The definition of maricón as somebody who “commits” sin finally pissed enough people off to force a revision to the dictionary. The new definition will not include the sodomite attribution, which makes my sphincter breathe so much easier. I’m always glad when anal sex is the animus for political activism.
Maricón, however, is not the only word that makes my cremaster muscles rise. Turns out there are more ways of calling somebody a fag throughout Latin America than there are tamal recipes! I consulted Wikipedia and devised this handy printable (and by no means comprehensive) guide which will be invaluable on your upcoming sex trade work vacation down south.
Did I miss any? Homolabeling is a blurry science at best. The truth, however, is as clear as it is acerbic. Attitudes in Latin America towards queerness have a long way to go, but there are things that we can all do to make this world a better place. Stand up for the rights of your fellow marica friends, girlfriend! Endorse antihomophobic discourse and initiatives at work, school, and in politics. Embrace your fellow putos for who they are as people, and not who they sleep with. If you don’t have a queer friend, go to the nearest H+M. Since we have the best readers ever, I’m curious to know what you’re doing to make this world a more homofriendly one. Dressing nicely? That’s nice. What else? Anal play? Excellent! What else? Break it down, fellas.
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This post made my anal canal absolutely tingle with delight. Love!
I was surprised to see so many variations for “homosexual” in South America. But I guess it’s no different than Pillow Biter, Fudge Packer, Ball Smacker and Wide Receiver being used in different parts of the U.S.
I think I’ll make the world more homofriendly by busting out those Mork rainbow suspenders from 3rd grade. Remember those?
i believe it was Bosrican who taught me “mascapillow” for which I will be eternally grateful.
Before changing homophobic attitudes in Latin America, one should start with improving the status of women (and all things feminine) in Latin America. That’s the biggest problem. Women are certainly better off than they used to be, but the success of women in Latin America pales in comparison to that of women in the states and some European countries.
Women are often devalued in Latin America, and that misogyny, in turn, fuels homophobia in many Latin American countries.
@Guanabe Bust A Nut: I agree there is a lot that has to be done to bring equality among the sexes, but why should this progress take precedent over sexual preference?
Ok. how do you like me know?
Ahooora entiendo… In PR puto means womanizer, not gay.
A lot of weird convos make sense now… not cool.
I am straight but Gabriel looks really hottt.
@ Tromelio: because misogyny and homophobia go hand in hand. Being gay is s “threat” to the patriarchal establishment (undermining the traditional definition of masculinity). Think of when people ask (gay men) about “who’s the woman.” They see it as someone having to be subordinate, and in “tradtional” heterosexual missionary sex the woman is subordinate. To homophobes, gays are de facto women. So until the condition of women improves, homophobia will still run rampant. Not to say that one should take precedence over the other. I think LGBT groups and feminists should work together.
@andonthatnote: Word. You should see the comments we get around the Guanabee office from our own staffers about all the gay and straight-male sexploitation stories we post. The straight guys haaaate it because they feel emasculated. I’m like, ‘welcome to our world, boys.’
Impressive scholarship!
To add to your collection, Gaybriel:
“Amiga de yucateca,” — more or less the equivalent of “friend of Dorothy”
“gualote” — I know it’s “turkey”. “Pipila” — “turkey hen” is sometimes used for a prostitute (female), but there is a folkloric hero of the Mexican War of Independence known only as “el Pipila” — which, given the mixed gender usage and slang, suggest he was a rent boy. Or a TV.
“El otro sindacato” — obviously, “the other side” but with a touch of class consciousness. I found it a useful phrase in DF, where I usually walked home from Metro Revolucion through the zona de tolerencia. The working girls stopped asking when I they found out I belonged to the “other union.”
I’ve heard “Cuilletín” (Nahuatl forr “cocksucker”) but how much its used (even by Nahuatl speakers) I can’t say.
Pargo (red snapper) is another term used widely in Venezuela, as well as mariposon.
God, viado also just means “deer” in Portuguese. Which I had known that sooner. I took a dance class with the teacher going “If you’re a man you dance like this, a woman, like this. And a viadinho… like THIS!” (slaps forehead).
Should a flamboyant dance teacher in a silver silk shirt be making fun of the viadinhos? Ay, Latin America…
Great post! This reminds me of the time in high school Spanish I learned about all the many differences in the way we refer to things like buses throughout Latin America.
I’m with andonthatnote that combating both homophobia and heterosexism go hand in hand with combating sexism. In college the queer Latino student group worked very closely with the feminist Latina student group. The issues cross over quite nicely.
As for me, I’ll um wear my rainbow chonís and socks with pride.
To add to the list, I thought I’d pass along some Guatemalan jewels:
hueco - widely used, I don’t think it needs an explanation
mariposon - this is my grandmother’s choice gay pejorative
um, what happened to talking about women who love other women (for real and not for men’s pleasure)? the male privilege lives long and strong no matter what the sexual orientation…
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce