Maricon, the Spanish equivalent of "gay" and "faggot," is nonchalantly tossed around in many Latino households.

And that's paired with negative stereotyping of effeminate men and a continual lack of public and private acceptance of LGBTQ community members. For many, the anti-LGBT sentiment is connected to religious teachings and upbringings within Latino households. And when deep rooted religious understanding is paired with machismo attitudes and incorrect information about homosexuality, it perpetuates hostility and homophobia.

Machismo (a strong sense of masculine pride) behaviors have negative implications, and it's associated with violence, sexual/domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases and antiquated gender roles, and it undermines the progress of many social movements. An offshoot of machismo is a culture that associates feminine characteristics with weakness. With that particular understanding of machismo, being a woman means to be the recipient of hostile behaviors based on machismo's need to present strength, dominance and power.

Along with that mode of understanding, to be a man who exhibits female mannerisms is inconceivable; it's sinful or immoral. Those who fail to conform to heteronormativity lack upward social mobility, so many stifle or hide their homosexual identity. They fear the social ramifications or accusations of perpetuating the "contagious gay agenda." But, it's the assumptions about the "gay agenda" or lifestyle. And presumptions about perversity that threatens housing and financial stability for LGBT youth and ultimately their lives.

There's very little room to carry out compassionate discourse or dialogue about queer identity in the Latin American community. Young people can sometimes turn to peers, but many have no outlet or person at home or school to give them a nod of understanding or ear for openness. Thus, conflict of identity ensues, and many Latino LGBT youth are made to feel as if they must choose either their ethnic identity and community or their sexual orientation. Because anti-gay actions and conversations are carried out in their homes, they feel that they can prescribe to one identity, but not both, less they want to bring shame to their family or compromise their ethnicity.

The fear of pride that's felt by LGBT Latino youth stands in opposition to pride felt by machismo men, who have countless avenues for conversation, self-congratulatory masculine behavior and pride.

For LGBT youth, there are dates, such as Spirit Day (Oct. 16) and National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), that recognize the LGBT community on the national and local level, but these are not dates that've been deemed important. But, if these days were better embraced nationally, it would prompt support, advocacy and pride.

"Hispanics have been lagging a couple of steps behind and this will move our community to be more embracing," Armando Vázquez-Ramos, professor of Chicano and Latino Studies at California State University, told Hispanic Link News Service. "We have to go beyond the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church relative to same-sex marriage and gay and lesbian communities in Latino families because it's not typically accepted."

There's been progression in the area of LGBT rights, but, like struggles faced by all marginalized groups, there's still much work to be done. Latinos have shown to be a resilient group, but that fact does not diminish discrimination or sexualization experienced by the race. And those disadvantages are further experienced by people of color who also identify as LGBTQ, undergoing twice the stigmatization as other gay men and women.

Machista Latino families and the devoutly religious become so entrenched in the "sin" of others' identities and sexualities that they miss educational opportunities and an opportunity to uplift others. The strength and pride of machismo can be harnessed and used to mobilize everyone in la raza, including LGBTQ individuals.

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