“Yes, this tragedy has impacted our entire queer community. And yes, in these critical times we must find every bridge that connects all of our oppressions, but we must do this without reinforcing erasure of Puerto Ricans, a community that continues to be colonized by the U.S. Puerto Ricans continue to be migrants in their own country, and while many of us are not fleeing the island because of violent dictatorship, some come to the mainland seeking solace and refuge from an island that has been and continues to be pillaged by white supremacy.” - Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca, Creator of Gran Varones
THE GRAN VARONES
The Gran Varones is a legacy project that uses video and photography to tell the stories of Latino & Afro-Latino Gay, Queer and Trans men. Our stories shine light on what being “out” and “proud” means to us, our families, and our communities.More you might like
julio mangual aka lady labelle is one of philadelphia’s most beloved afro-boricua drag queens. he has one of the first queens to organize drag shows in the heart of north philly - a world away from philly’s gayborhood - in the early 1990s. lady labelle continues to break down barriers by performing in bars and clubs that my uncle, my bother and aunts go to.
watch our latest gran varones profile video as julio aka lady label shares their story.
when we started to the gran varones project, we never imagined that the outcome would be a documentary film. in the winter of 2013, with a no money, a few iphones, a flip cam and a shoddy microphone, we began interviewing gay latino men from north philadelphia for a portrait photography project. our goal was to raise the voices of gay latino men in philadelphia telling our stories, the stories that often times get left out of the lgbtq narrative.
in just a few months, we quickly amassed about 20 hours of film. we knew we had to do something with the footage so we decided to download an editing program, and learned how to use it as we edited the footage. The final product is a 55 minute documentary of latino gay men courageously sharing their stories and experiences.
the “our legacy is alive” documentary is a reminder that we must tell our stories. the stonewall movie is a sobering truth that if we do not tell and share our stories, no one will. we hope that you are inspired by the film to share yours . we hope that this film serves as proof that our stories can heal and brief life in our communities right here, right now. our legacy is alive.
project coordinators:
louie a. ortiz-fonseca
anthony leon
sean laughlin
this film and project are dedicated to the courageous varones who have so generously shared their stories in effort to raise our voices.
special thanks: gloria casarez, brent morales, charlotte sahadeo, erika amiròn niz, nikki lopez, elicia gonzales, jaymie campbell, kira manser, samantha dato, raices culturales latinoamericanas, concilio taller puertorriqueño and everyone who has supported the making of this film and project.
Louie: Finally! We got to meet. Why did you choose this area?
Joemar:
Because I grew up around here. This is my hood! They know me. I used to
sit on those steps and chill. Everyone knows me and knows that I chill.
Louie: Do you miss it?
Joemar:
Yeah. I miss my hood and I miss all my friends. I have seen some of my
friends on Gran Varones. I’m in love with your work.
Louie: Wow. Thank you.That means a lot to me.
Joemar:
Yeah, You know a lot of peoples that I do. I was like “Look at Gio! He
is my heart.” I just called him because I know he is back from Florida.
Louie: Yeah. He is my cousin.
Joemar: For real? He is my heart. I also saw people from my Travesuda days.
Louie: I only went to that club once. I loved that it was for Latinos.
Joemar:
It was poppin’! I had my birthday party there with all of my angels.
Too bad it came to an end. Anyway, I can’t wait to see my picture. Gran
Varones!
Joemar Cruz, Philadelphia
Interviewed & Photographed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca
Interview with Louie A. Ortíz, director of the film “The Gran Varones” a storytelling project documenting the stories of gay and queer-identifying Boricua and Latino men.Chequéalo →
GV: tell us about you.
LUIS:“my name is jose luis cortes and i am an artist. i was born here even though i wasn’t raised here, i identify with the puerto rican community here. i am proud to be from philly.”
GV: how is being a gay latino in puerto rico different from being a gay latino in philadelphia or new York.
LUIS: being in puerto rico is great because everyone is puerto rican. but being gay in a big city is different because people are more accepting, more nonchalant and relaxed about it. in puerto rico i have some hang-ups. maybe it’s just me. you know, when you here straight being say “maricón” and you’re like “but why is that?” the language, the culture is so deep to say “maricón.” so i try not to take it personally sometimes.
the first gay pride in puerto rico was, i think ten years ago. some people marched with masks on. now the gay pride is so huge and they have two gay prides, one inside the island that’s even bigger than the one in san juan.
GV: how has your art impacted your life?
LUIS: greatly. the thing is it’s kept me alive. it gives me a sense of drive. very strong. very important.
click link in title to read an interview with gran varones creator.
Louie: It’s great to meet you. Have you checked our project?
Saul: No, show me.
Louie: Are you on instragram? I will show you.
Saul: That is nice a project for the gays. I love it.
Louie: Would you want your photo taken for the project.
Saul: Yeah, Let’s go.
Louie: What’s your name on Instagram so I can tag you when we post your pic.
Saul: Don’t judge me. lol
Louie: No I will not, I promise.
Saul: youreafaggot
Louie: I love it. Reclaiming the word.
Saul: Something like that. lol
Saul, North Philadelphia
Interviewed & Photographed by Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca
if your skin browns
only because of the sun,
there is not a thing,
not a single one
you can tell us
about how we engage
with our blackness
or which tactics
we utilized in our fight for freedom.
the gran varones
gran varones co-creator anthony leon is featured in a cool article about his leadership and how GV is changing the landscape in philadelphia.