Loud-mouthed 'lesbiana' uses comedy as weapon of choice
QSanAntonio.com, February 12, 2011

No one could never accuse San Antonio-born performance artist Adelina Anthony of being demur. On the contrary, Anthony herself describes her work as "salacious, brazen, Spanglish humor that flirts with all kinds of cultural taboos."

Anthony, who now lives in the S.F. Bay Area, will bring her cheeky, unapologetic Chicana-lesbian bravado to San Antonio starting February 25 for a three-night performance line-up titled "La Hocciona Series -- An Original X-X-Xicana Comedic Triptych of Scandalous Proportions!"

The word Spanish word "hocciona" literally means big-mouthed but could also refer to a loudmouth woman who uses foul language, swears a lot or constantly talks back. Anthony delivers on all counts. Just consider the titles of some of her other works: "Requiem for Queer Amor," "Bruising for Besos," and "Mastering Sex and Tortillas."

Anthony is also a prolific writer. In a 2008 essay on same-sex marriage titled "Adelina’s Top Six Gay Marriage Strategies," she wrote:

"Strategy #2: Marry an immigrant! Preferably Mexican because we all know that anti-immigrant laws in this country still equate anti-Mexican. This is a spectacular way to build coalitions amongst the disenfranchised in our country. Think about it. We can help hardworking immigrants gain their citizenship and in return they can help build those lovely homes gays like to live in and be the wonderful nannies that keep raising privileged babies." (See related story below.)

The "Hocciona" series is comprised of three one-woman shows performed on three consecutive nights.

The first performance, "La Angry Xicana," weaves together critiques of Hollywood, the U.S. corporate media, purported lesbian gang epidemics, conservative politics and the semi-sacred courtship that happens only among queer "womyn" of color.

The second installment, "La Sad Girl . . ." is described as a crazy ride where the comedy goes gothic. Anthony riffs on everything from ultra-dramatic break-ups to good old-fashioned bondage and sadomasochism.

In the third act, "La Chismosa," Anthony cooks up comedic stereotypes within subjects like migration and border issues, Facebook gossip, single motherhood and "mental issues for Xicanas who may be a wee bit paranoid."

In commenting on her upcoming performances in San Antonio, Anthony said that each performance stands alone, but seeing all three of them during this limited run is "a rare opportunity to witness and participate in critical locura--Xicana style!"

La Hociccona Series: An Original X-X-Xicana Comedic Triptych, February 25 - 27, 2011 at the Sterling Houston Theater at Jump-Start in the Blue Star Art Complex, 108 Blue Star. Admission: Pre-sale tickets available at $18 each. A pre-sale package of the 3 shows $45 ($15 each). Pre-sale groups of 10 or more for each show $15. At the door; $20 general, $15 students/seniors with ID. Info: Jump-Start.org.

Photos -- Adelina Anthony on stage
Photography by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, February 24, 2011
QSanAntonio photographer Antonia Padilla was invited to the dress rehearsal for Adelina Anthony's three-part performance, "La Hocciona Series -- An Original X-X-Xicana Comedic Triptych of Scandalous Proportions!" which runs at the Sterling Houston Theater at Jump-Start from February 25 - 27. The resulting photos show the performance artist going through the paces of her show using her expressive face to punctuate her words.

Commentary: Adelina’s top six gay marriage strategies
By Adelina Anthony, QSanAntonio.com, November 8, 2008

On November 4, we experienced a big YAY for OBAMA and a big NAY if you're GAY (especially in California, Arizona, and Florida). So, since many of our queer brothers and sisters -- myself included -- are now being institutionalized as second-class citizens throughout the nation (never mind that many of us also fight for immigrant rights, fair housing, education rights, anti-war movements and a number of other progressive social issues), I thought I would offer up some strategies to help us move forward in this political climate.

1. PROTECT THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE FOR REALZ!
Queers let's stop playing defense and play hard-core offense. We MUST Protect Marriage from the Hets, i.e. we need to launch a campaign that allows marriage to take place between a man and a woman—ONLY ONCE! This way we help hets preserve the sanctity of marriage! They can't do it without us. Look at their 50% divorce rate that increases exponentially as they marry for the second or third time. This is a historical opportunity for gays to build a true coalition with the Christian Wrong. And when they have used up their one-time only marriage license, they can, of course, have future domestic partnerships or civil unions.

2. MARRY AN IMMIGRANT!
Preferably Mexican because we all know that anti-immigrant laws in this country still equate anti-Mexican. This is a spectacular way to build coalitions amongst the disenfranchised in our country. Think about it. We can help hardworking immigrants gain their citizenship and in return they can help build those lovely homes gays like to live in and be the wonderful nannies that keep raising privileged babies.


3) MARRY EACH OTHER!
This is an old strategy that many queers have used before, but we should do this in record numbers. Let's find practical ways to make queer group marriage work. After all, it takes a village to raise a child, and I DO want mine raised by beautiful YMCA village people. This strategy should also quell criticism from within the queer community that those of us who aspire to marriage are seeking a normative livelihood. (Hey, I hear your radical arguments, but I think it's more than okay for the rest of us to seek ways to protect our families and be so normal as to not get killed in the streets for who we love or sex in bed.)

4) GO TO CHURCH!
If Jesus was brave enough to wear a dress and roam the streets with 12 other lonely men, we should be brave enough to fight for the rights of the poor, fight for the protection of prostitutes, and fight for the separation of State and Church. (Remember: Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.) We must be brave enough to start a queer spiritual movement. Get in there and reclaim Jesus as the radical queer figure that he was for his time and not the religious bigotry he's been used for over and over again. Amen. Or Awomyn.

5. DON'T GO TO CHURCH!
For those of us who understand that the Catholic and Christian global business industries were/are the tools of colonization for people of color, especially Latinos and Blacks, let's reclaim our TRADITIONAL two-spirited and matriarchal ways of living and making familia. Trust me, I've been to the Vatican, that Pope ain't po!

6. CALL IT WHAT IT IS.
And if you are making a life with someone in a committed relationship. Don't be afraid to name that person your wife or husband. Trust me, I had a domestic partnership and there's nothing sexy about introducing your other half as your domesticated panocha. Language is power. Name it. Live it.

Yes We Can…it's just gonna take more work. Make progressive art. And let's leave single-issue movement models behind. Follow the L.A. Bus Rider Union's model and build coalitions. Queers we gotta keep coming out in other movement work. If we fight for our communities we need them to fight for us.

Bottom line: This country's Religious Wrong will continue to make Gays and Abortions and Immigrants hot button issues because they want to have absolute control on how to make family and nation and profit. We need to keep the change coming.

Adelina Anthony, a Xicana-Indígena lesbian multi-disciplinary artist, hails originally from San Antonio, Tejas. She currently resides in Los Angeles. Her work addresses issues such as colonization, feminism, trauma, memory, gender, race/ ethnicity, sexuality, in/migration, health, land/environment, and issues generally affecting the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/two-spirited communities. She can be reached via her Web site: AdelinaAnthony.com.