Chicago Spanish-Language Radio Station Uses Offensive Language Against LGBT Community

Chicago, IL - 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. On Friday, August 15th, "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 we 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).

These comments cannot go unchallenged. El Pistolero may not realize that by making fun of LGBT people in this manner, he is reinforcing homophobia and inaccurately portraying an entire community.



TAKE ACTION NOW!

Use GLAAD.org's online Take Action Center to automatically send your concerns to the show's producer. Tell him that all listeners of "El Show de El Pistolero y Memín" deserve respect and that making hurtful remarks under the guise of entertainment is inappropriate.

Also tell the station manager to consider inviting a representative from the Chicago Latina/o LGBT community on to the show to explore the reality of our lives.

Across the country defamation goes unchecked, often because the media - in this case, Spanish-language media - is rarely challenged or held accountable. Together we can pressure the station to stop the deejay's defamatory rhetoric.

You can also fax or call the station manager and the show's producer at the contact information below. If you choose not to use GLAAD's online action center, please copy all correspondence to Mónica Taher (taher@glaad.org).

César Canales
Producer
WOJO - La Qué Buena 105.1FM
625 N. Michigan Ave. STE 300
Chicago, IL 60611
PH:(312) 981-1920
FAX: (312) 654-5499
CCanales@HispanicBroadcasting.com

Jerry Ryan
General Manager
WOJO - La Qué Buena 105.1FM
625 N. Michigan Ave. STE 300
Chicago, IL 60611
PH: (312) 981-1804
FAX: (312) 654-5499
jerryryan@HispanicBroadcasting.com




©Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. reprinted with permission - Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation