Chicago's radio WOJO—La Qué Buena 105.1FM, a Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation ( HBC ) station, has allowed repeated defamatory comments about the LGBT community on its morning show, reports GLAAD. On Friday, Aug. 15, 'El Show de El Pistolero y Memín,' the station's weekday morning program with El Pistolero, Abel Vences and Rubén Lomelí, called its sister station Viva 103.1FM and became involved in an exchange of several disgusting and hurtful comments against gay men. In one instance, El Pistolero said: 'En Viva todos son puñales! ( At Viva, everyone is a fag! ) Saquen el jotito de adentro!!' ( Take out the homo inside of you! ) . People in the studio then screamed: '¡¡Puñales!! ¡¡Puñales!! ¡¡Puñales!!' ( Fags! Fags! Fags! ) .
El Pistolero also said: 'No se preocupen que lo puñal se puede curar. No mas se tiene que cortar algo.' ( Don't worry, his 'queerness' can be cured. We just need to cut 'it' off ) . GLAAD was alerted by several members of Chicago's LGBT Latino community and contacted the show's producers immediately. The producers were reluctant to take responsibility or to apologize for the comments. Five days after they contacted them, El Pistolero again made homophobic remarks by asking a caller the following questions: 'Eres viejo?' ( are you a guy? ) 'Y tienes vieja?' ( do you have a woman? ) 'Estas seguro que no eres puñal?' ( Are you sure you are not a fag? ) 'A mi se me hace que eres puñal.' ( I think you are a fag ) . 'Eres rarito.' ( You are weird. ) El Pistolero was reportedly reprimanded by management, but the anti-gay comments reportedly continue.
Use GLAAD.org's online Take Action Center to automatically send your concerns. Log on to www.glaad.org/action/calls_detail.php. Also contact César Canales, Producer, or Jerry Ryan, General Manager, WOJO - La Qué Buena 105.1FM, 625 N. Michigan Ave. STE 300, Chicago, IL 60611, PH: ( 312 ) 981-1920, FAX: ( 312 ) 654-5499.
The station belongs to the Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., and GLAAD is talking with them about a larger problem with HBC stations around the U.S. GLAAD is also trying to set up a meeting with the local station's management and reps from Amigas Latinas and ALMA. The following was sent from Aurora Pineda for Amigas.
Dear Mr. Canales and Mr. Ryan,
I am writing on behalf of the board of directors of Amigas Latinas to express our deep concern for the homophobic atmosphere and culture that seems to exist at WOJO. ... Amigas members are mothers, grandmothers, students, teachers, doctors, attorneys, factory workers and police officers.
Your station's repeated defamatory comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community on 'El Show de El Pistolero y Memín' Aug. 15 and several days after reinforces the Latino community's homophobia and fear of LGBT persons. Comments such as 'No se preocupen, que lo puñal se puede curar. No mas se tiene que cortar algo,' continue to make it acceptable to hate, harass, assault and even kill LGBT persons.
It is because of homophobia and ignorance that Amigas Latinas exists to support and empower Latina women who love and partner with women to be proud of and understand who they are and how and why the hatred they experience by family, co-workers and society is rooted in fear, myths and a lack of understanding. The fact that this exchange occurred between two prominent Spanish-language radio stations, WOJO and Viva 103.1 only further detracts from and diminishes the progress and incredible accomplishments straight and LGBT Latinos have made in the field of radio communications.
