Summer Issue Already There’s Issues is a new LGBT Magazine produced in Puerto Vallarta, a collaborative magazine about queerness that celebrates the beauty in self-reflection, disobeying, and ownership over the definition of masculinity. Gilbert Beltran, the creator of this premium magazine delves into the topic of masculinity and how gay men are pressured to either conform to the rules of masculinity or to take the more difficult path of defining masculinity for themselves. The one message you can take away from this photography book (which is full of nude all-gay models) is that masculinity is prismatic and there is no necessity for one person’s definition of masculinity to be another’s. This magazine was conceived and designed in Puerto Vallarta. It reflects the beauty of Mexico and the lifestyle we are afforded by living in this lush paradise. It was important to Beltran, who is Mexican from California, that this magazine be bi-lingual and shines a light on the beautiful Mexican lifestyle.
Already There’s Issues Produced in Vallarta, this photography magazine breaks with the concept of masculinity By Randy Rodriguez / Managing Editor Photo: Gilbert Beltran
The cover of his first issue features Mama Tits, the drag performer who is originally from Seattle but now performs in Vallarta annually during peak seasons. “She’s a beacon of the Vallarta community who embodies the power of walking in their truth. Mama Tits is a talented performer who has no problem identifying with all sides of herself because it’s only when we are generous with ourselves that we can accept all of who we are and then we can finally enjoy the benefits of true self-acceptance, which in a judgmental community like the gay community, it can be hard.”said Beltran, founder and Editor of the magazine. “For many people, acceptability politics keep us down, oppressed, depressed and snuffs out our creativity and excitement for self-expression. I talk a lot about acceptability politics in the magazine and I’ll define what that is for you now: Acceptability Politics are the divisive rules that we employ against our own brethren in order to feel superior or special.”said. “Like for example, If you’re a masc top, you can’t cry at “The Notebook”, or if you’re a Drag Queen, you can’t be a political activist. It’s these gay-on-gay divisions that I think are the fallacy of our community. I am marching toward a world where a person is whatever combination of gender, interests, proclivities, and expressions they want to be…and that they will just be called their NAMES and not just a label like “m2f post-op” or “pass-around party bottom”. He said. “QUEER PEOPLE DON’T GROW UP AS OURSELVES, WE GROW UP PLAYING A VERSION OF OURSELVES THAT SACRIFICES AUTHENTICITY TO MINIMIZE HUMILIATION AND PREJUDICE. THE MASSIVE TASK OF OUR ADULT LIVES IS TO SORT OUT WHICH PARTS OF OURSELVES ARE TRULY US AND WHICH PARTS WE’VE CREATED TO PROTECT OURSELVES.” -ALEXANDER LEON
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Summer 2020
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