Almaguer speaks on gay pride

There's a new superman in town. Tomas Almaguer, director for Research on Social Organization and Director of the Latino/Latina studies program at the University of Michigan, introduced his research Thursday on the "Macho Constructions of Gender and Sexual Identity Among Chicano Gay Men."

Almaguer's visit was one of many events of this year's Gay Pride and a Half Week, sponsored by the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Union. Other events include films, lectures, dinners and discussion groups.

Almaguer's research is based on case studies of men from Mexican origin in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among Chicano gay men, there is a lot of exploration of the meanings of their homosexuality. The focus on the homosexual Mexican male has more a macho undertone.This role is geared more towards a non compromising position.

Almaguer's research used data from 30 gay men of Chicano and Mexican origin and conducted interviews based on class difference, levels of acculturation, and generational differences.

In Thursday's presentation, Almaguer outlined the research by introducing two of his cases. Both of the men he chose to present had lived lives of heterosexual males and one of the men even raised two children. The lives that they chose to construct followed the basic patriarchal gender roles. While growing up, both men at some point admitted to feeling pressure to conform to traditional male-centered roles.

Another male in the study admitted to having entitlements of manhood woven into his Mexican family. "There were no chores, I was able to go out on the weekend with friends, and observe the roles of important male figures. In the Mexican community, there is an acceptance that you will keep everything in." said one case.

Most Mexicans felt as if they allowed themselves to take the receptive position that they would "compromise" their masculinity. In Mexican families, socialized sexual roles are taught throughout the life of the child. Gay Chicano men would much rather take the director roles because this keeps them in the more "masculine" position.

Almaguer began his research at Berkeley because there was "no information available on this subject about people who looked like me."

"It was hard trying to find appropriate ways to research this topic. I consulted Latino males organizations and AIDS organizations but had extreme difficulty finding the information that I needed," said Almaguer.

He said there are comparisons that can be made about African American, Asian American, and Native American men. "The tendencies towards these polarities are rampant especially with class comparisons," said Almaguer.

"As acculturation and mobility increases, more people will embrace the Mexican, Chicano, or Latino cultures with reference to sexual orientation. However those that live in more white communities will tend to express their cultures less, especially when it comes to class difference," said Almaguer.