What’s Your Gay Latino/Hispanic Life Like?

In our recent interview with Linda Ronstadt, the iconic singer revealed the admirable steps she's taking to bridge the gap between gays and non-gays in the Hispanic community since the passing of Prop 8.

Ronstadt's involvement made us want to know more about the cultural experiences of being LGBT in the Latino/Hispanic community -- and that's where you come in. If you've got a story, we want you to share it with other readers of Gay.com and PlanetOut.

Sharing your story is simple. Answer any or all of the questions below, but please try to keep your answers to 100 words or less. When you're finished, send your answers -- along with 3-4 attached images of yourself -- to tips@planetout.com. We'll then produce your stories as individual features and run them on PlanetOut.com and Gay.com. Maybe if we all learn more about each other's cultures, then we will be able to rise above the bigotry and reach a new level of understanding.

Name: (Optional)
Gay.com Member Name:
Age:
Gender:
Ethnicity:
Sexual Orientation:
Birthplace:

As a Latino/Hispanic, do you have a "coming out" story specific to your culture? Or do you have any stories describing why you feel you cannot "come out" as an LGBT Latino?

Who is your favorite Latino/Hispanic icon? Why?

Are you aware of any LGBT Latino/Hispanic celebrities or public figures, or can you name any that you know to be gay-friendly or pro-gay?

How did you learn about sex and sexual orientation? Was it from family, friends, religion, etc?

What are your perceptions of what makes a gay man (top/bottom or other roles?) and a lesbian in Latino/Hispanic culture?

Could you provide an experience where you were a victim of gay bashing/abuse from fellow Latinos vs. non-Hispanic people, whether you were "out" or not?

How did you learn about STDs and safe sex? Was it culturally specific through organizations or just through personal experiences?

If you are out to your family, describe how difficult/easy your "coming out" experience was. Was there any particular family member you felt most comfortable telling? Why? Was there someone you felt least comfortable telling? Why?

If you are actively involved in the larger gay community, do you, as a Latino/Hispanic, ever feel either objectified or discriminated against by others because of your race or ethnicity?

Images: Getty Images