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 Editorials | Issues | April 2007 
Mexican Federation of Sexual Education and Sexology Meet with Azteca America Over Anti-Gay Slurs
 GayBusinessWorld.com
The two organizations discussed the use of anti-gay slurs by Ventaneando América’s on-camera talent and provided sensitivity training to combat homophobia faced by the LGBT community.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Mexican Federation of Sexual Education and Sexology (FEMESS) have announced the outcome of a meeting held last week with Azteca América’s Ventaneando América in Mexico City.
The two organizations discussed the use of anti-gay slurs by Ventaneando América’s on-camera talent and provided sensitivity training that laid the groundwork for an ongoing partnership to combat homophobia faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
At the beginning of the training, Alexis Lippert, Ventaneando América’s executive producer, took responsibility for the March 16 use of the slur and acknowledged that while pejoratives have historically been used in Spanish-language media, he is committed to ensuring they are no longer used on his programs.
“Ventaneando América’s producers and on-air talent understand the correlation between the use of these pejoratives and the rise in homophobia and discrimination against LGBT people,” Mónica Taher, GLAAD’s people of color media strategy director, said in a release. “We look forward to an ongoing partnership with Azteca América’s media professionals to prevent these types of incidents from ever happening again.”
In addition, Azteca América invited producers from the network’s other major entertainment shows airing in the United States, including Va que va, Los 25 +, Historias engarzadas, La historia detrás del mito, and El club del muñeco, to attend the training. The 15 media professionals in attendance learned about LGBT terminology, saw examples of responsible programming and received other resources for fair, accurate and inclusive representation. The participants included Ventaneando America’s hosts, Daniel Bisogno, Mónica Garza, Inés Gomez-Mont, Pedro Sola and Atala Sarmiento.
“Media professionals need to understand that an anti-gay slur such as maricón and marimacha are the last words kids often hear in the schoolyard before they get punched,” said Luis Perelman, FEMESS president. “These pejoratives only denigrate LGBT people and position them as second-class citizens.” |
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