Some of My Glitter for Dan Savage: Enough is Enough

My latest for DailyGrito.com

My politics are based on who I am; I’m a gay, male-identifying, Colombian-immigrant, college graduate, pro-social welfare, son of a single-mother, American citizen. All of these identities, outside of being personal identifiers, are sociopolitical markers with specific positions in our political system. The order is also deliberate. I identify as a gay-male first, because it’s the most complex element of my personhood, it puts me both in the minority of the LGB ‘t’ community, and in the privileged community of an identified male.

I am proud of my “minority” social status as a gay person, and I am equally at peace with my maleness, but perhaps the most difficult thing about being in a “special” community, is that certain people are looked upon as the ambassadors of our communities. Who is the spokesperson for the Queer-male community? Well, I would never be arrogant enough to suggest that one person represents the multi-layered, diverse LGB ‘t’ community, but I’ll confidently tell you who doesn’t — Dan Savage.

I have always found Dan’s narcissism difficult to digest, but lately he has become truly unbearable. He continues to parade around the country, promoting his new MTV gig and spreading an image of the Queer community that is far from sensible and certainly offensive.

The show is basically a televised version of “Savage Love,” Dan’s sex advice column for The Stranger . In the show, he will be talking sex with college students, an interesting choice of dad gives advice, and perhaps more relevant during his misogynist prime in the early 90s.

Last week, during one of his talks, he was glittered by a student at the University of California, Irvine. This is the second time this happens, someone throws glitter in his face as a sign of Queer protest. Why? Because despite his failed persuasion of not being a transphobe , he continues to use the words “she-male”, “tranny” refers to Trans pornography as “freaky-tranny porn,” and continuing to degrade the Trans community as the site for prostitution and sexual fetish.

Ironically enough, Dan Savage, the archetype of transphobic, gender-normative, assimilation-obsessed, white, hyper-sexual gay males, is the founder of the “It Gets Better Campaign,” a media campaign geared towards ending Queer teenage suicide. Well, Dan, I’m glad it got better for you with your $10,000 speaking engagements to promote your divisive homo-supremacy.

It’s important for the Queer community to unite. I certainly don’t expect such a sensible suggestion to be housed in something as foolish as MTV, or through the advocacy of Dan Savage, but enough is enough!

It doesn’t get better for the Trans community. They live in horror of bathroom terrorism, they can’t find jobs and live in poverty, they are murdered, they are bullied and discriminated against as children and adults , so what’s your answer, Dan?

You don’t have one.