La llorona loca through my chicana lesbian lens

Abstract

This testimonial features the origins of the short story: La Llorona Loca: The Other Side by writer/performer Monica Palacios. Monica’s story is published in the anthology: Chicana Lesbians - The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About. Monica’s obsession with the folklore figure, La Llorona, leads her on a journey to create a comedy routine about the ghost woman in her stand up comedy act. Monica struggles with making the comedy bit work on stage and puts the story on the back burner. Years later, in 1987 Monica is a new arrival in Los Angeles desperately in need of Latina lesbian consciousness. Palacios meets fierce mujeres from the group Lesbianas Unidas who invite Monica to do a comedy performance at their March 1989 International Women’s Day celebration. The group’s support inspires Monica to finally create her Llorona story about lesbiana visibility, resilience, resistance, revolution and raunch. The late 80s and early 90s are turbulent times for queer Latinx people due to AIDS, homophobia, oppression, and politics but despite these challenges, Palacios turns fear into fuel, creating unique material as one of the first Chicana lesbian comedians.