"Some people of color act white, some homos act straight" was said by one of the gay men in my downtown latino gay, artsie, literary and trasgressor groupie, when I told them the story about the birkenstock wearing, curlie hair, feminist, progressive educator -she was allowed to use the Center from where I was expelled-, white lesbian in the CCNY School of Education. Right in front of one of my Puerto Rican female colleagues she put me on the defensive by questioning my statement on the USA military bases in Puerto Rico. She was not interested in understanding my point, lbut more so, was trying to embarrassed me in front of snother Puerto Rican. Why do white people do that is a question people of color usually explore when one of them is puposedly cornered in front of other members of the group. The same issue is discussed by homos when a straight person does it to a member of the LBGTT community. In this particular situation, it was a white lesbian doing it to Puerto Rican gay man in front of another Puerto Rican. Luckily, Puerto Ricans also explore that issue when one of their fellow ethnics, gays or not, is used by a white person in order to, among many reasons, to show force. The three Puerto Ricans at the CCNY School ol Education also discussed the white lesbian and the gay Puerto Rican power driven event and its related asymmetries of gender, race relationships; quite interesting topic, yet very annoying for those going through the experience. The white lesbian thought she was going to get feminist solidarity from a Puerto Rican woman by using a Puerto Rican gay man. "No, nena, you didn't" is what I thought, when having the discussion with the two other Puerto Ricans "mujeres"' -as far as I know are not lesbians- but are mentally and politically clear enough to know when not to be manipulated by a birkenstock wearing, curlie hair, feminist, progressive educator white lesbian in the CCNY School of Education.
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