I am sitting in the North Charleston Coliseum in South Carolina ensconced in a piece of pure Americana. A CNN debate between the Republican presidential candidates is unfolding beneath a sea of cardboard red, white and blue stars and stripes. “I favor English as the official language of government, and I think that creates a […]
This poem was written for the Memorial Service this weekend for Dolores Prida, the Dear Abby of Latinas, whose critically acclaimed advice columns, plays, books and Op-Ed pieces span a generation. Prida died suddenly this weekend of unknown causes following a party she attended which included Latina leaders like U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The tribute will also include […]
I walked into Room 308 this year and made a beeline to see Luna’s contribution to the Art Wall, a rosy-cheeked self-portrait with an essay on her personal goal: learning to say hello to strangers. Her teacher has no such problem. “Hello, everyone!” Clare O’Connell said brightly before telling parents about the hurdles in the […]
The new North Tower is finally high enough to partially restore the skyline I used to see when I stepped outside my home in Greenwich Village. It was a glorious sight before September 11, 2001. Two shiny towers created a reference point for miles around, giving Manhattan the center of its compass, just like the […]
On Father’s Day our daughter’s papa was at the beach. Not just any beach but that New York mecca for wealthy, sun-tanned gay party boys called Fire Island. Luna, our daughter, was home with her two Mommies adoringly decorating a ceramic plate to celebrate their day. “I Love Papa and Daddy,” she paints on their […]
Somewhere, out there in Winter Park, Florida, a lechon is about to hit the grill. From Cleveland, a planeload of Buckeye boricuas will fly to New York, where Mayor Mike Bloomberg has already begun showing off his emerging Spanish skills. It’s time for the National Puerto Rican Day parade which, much like Cinco de Mayo, […]
We began breakfast one recent morning delivering this news to Luna: Rosanna, her caregiver, was going on a two-week vacation. “Who is going to take care of me?” she asked. And then she gave me The Look. I call it pouty face. Her dime-sized brown eyes squeeze together, the lower lip rolls out, the hands […]
This morning as we scrambled to get Luna off to school, there came a moment when the timeline of my life leapt into fast forward. I was carrying around an iPad turned to CNN, checking in to see what news awaited me at work, while Luna danced around me knowing my partner or I would […]
I am reminded each day I park my car that the pressure will never subside. A billboard from a storage company cries out to couples tying the knot: “IF YOU DONT LIKE GAY MARRIAGE, DONT GET GAY MARRIED.”It’s not the political message that’s killing me. It’s the marital Call to Arms. The pressure began on […]