Experienced Dia de los Muertos in Boyle Heights the other night. I will confess right here and now, this was my first time. Don’t judge. Me and my homegirl Sunny Bak, walked the long ass stretch of First Street from State near where we parked, to Anderson, where the oldest Los Angeles celebration of Day of the Dead is held, Self Help Graphics. 2012 marked it’s 39th year. I truly enjoyed walking with the crowds of raza dressed in their calaca attire. Gente dressed as the dead, which to me is basically high class zombies. The vibe was festive but it also felt like home, I was comforted, I wanted some cute chick to braid my hair. Speaking of, there was a steady flow of babes with babes. Mujeres in love holding hands. It was encouraging to see women feeling safe to be who they are–to love who they want to love–in public. As a veterana, who came out as a Chicana lesbian comic in 1982–raza, was not always, open minded. As a matter of fact, there were a few shows I did, where I feared my life as I was on stage. Keep up the progress, gente. Love is love.

The thrill of the night was crunching on a freshly made hot churro–good lord, it was better than sex. Long live the dead!

Monica’s play, Clock, was selected for Teatro Bravo‘s Play Reading Series. Sun Dec 2, 2PM.

Clock: When a Latina lesbian couple decide to wind their biological clocks, everyone has an opinion, even Leti, the Aztec Goddess of Fertility.

Arizona Latino Cultural Art Center, downtown Phoenix. www.alacaz.org

Book Monica Palacios  for your upcoming university and cultural events focusing on: LGBT, Chicana/Latina, Theater, Women, Gender, Performance, Race, Class, Sexuality, Vegetarian Food.