wetback mountain

Although I normally don't like Carlos Mencia's material much, this sketch cracked me up when I saw it on tv a few days ago. (It also features Mario Lopez formerly of Saved by the Bell) It brings up a real question: in some contexts (especially corporate America) is it safer to identify strongly as Latino (or Black or Muslim) or identify as gay or bisexual? I've been in some "progressive" places where I've even sensed that some otherwise mainstream individuals choose to use a very broad definition of "bisexual" (i.e. everyone is a little bisexual) just to be able to claim some sort of non-mainstream (queer) identity. So while there seems to be some postive social cache to being queer in some situations, in these same environments (especially in the current political climate) folks can still feel pretty safe making slurs against Muslims... and in other ways, the voices of difference end up getting silenced as well. The lesson is that there are different kinds and sizes of "closets" for different folks.