Chicago Tribune - August 25, 2002
Oscar Avila, Tribune staff reporter

With that slogan this month, Radio Arte launched an unusual new program: a weekly, bilingual broadcast geared to gay and lesbian Latino youths.

The twentysomething hosts of "Homofrecuencia," a twist on the Spanish word for "frequency," envision a program that mixes vibrant music with life-and-death messages on topics such as homophobia and HIV prevention.

The hosts, who have been planning the show for years, say they must confront a Latino culture whose traditional values and Roman Catholic roots can make it less than welcoming for gays and lesbians.

"When you are from Pilsen or Little Village, and you're questioning your identity, you are kind of in limbo until you connect with somebody else who is gay," said Jorge Valdivia, 27, a station assistant manager and co-producer of the show.

Listeners can catch the show from 9 to 10 p.m. Mondays on the student-run radio station WRTE-FM 90.5 and on the Internet at www.radioarte.org.

The five hosts all started as teenage students at Radio Arte, a training program run by the Chicago-based Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum.

The hosts also share a common struggle to live comfortably as gays and lesbians in predominantly Mexican-American neighborhoods.

Irma Tinajero, 20, recalls her family telling her that she was merely going through a phase. Tinajero said they suggested she refer to her girlfriend as her "friend."

"You want to find support in your family, but you can't," she said.

The hosts say they hope their own experiences, plus phone lines open to listeners, will create a forum for youths who feel isolated.

The show will include a running segment called "Coming Out Stories," where local youths will be interviewed about how they told their family of their sexual orientation.

"Programs like this fill a huge void to help people get connected, and let them share and validate what they feel and think," said Martin Ornelas-Quintero, executive director of the National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organization.

Ornelas-Quintero said youths are especially isolated from support networks, putting them at greater risk of disease and hate crimes.

The hosts also promote health awareness and will feature a weekly newscast of relevant items. The first week reported on a campaign to prevent HIV among Brazilian youths.

The show also includes segments on important historical events involving gays and lesbians, such as the Stonewall protests and the death of Matthew Shepard.

Valdivia said early response had been positive, putting to rest fears that the program would outrage conservative Latinos. In fact, Valdivia said the hosts considered taping the show for the first few months.

"Our concern was that we were going to have people waiting for us outside after we left," Valdivia said. "But if we're trying to say that there is nothing wrong with being gay, we can't be cowards about getting the message out."

Ornelas-Quintero said gay and lesbian Latino leaders plan to publicize "Homofrecuencia" at an annual conference in October. He hopes youths around the world will catch the program on the Internet.

He said radio stations in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas broadcast programs geared to gay and lesbian Latinos, but none focuses on youths. Also, the programs air on English-language stations and are not integrated with other Latino programs.

The hosts hope that family members and friends of gay and lesbian Latinos will listen to and improve their understanding of their loved ones.

"I'm hoping the show also educates the heterosexual listeners," Valdivia said. "We're aiming at anyone who will listen."

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