qvCover Model Sal is 19 years old and was born in Spain. He came to the U.S. when he was less than a year old. He was basically raised in New York. He enjoys clubbing, computers, and swimming. He actually did competitive swimming for 9 years, and in his own words, he says, “swimming will always be a part of my life.”

Sal also enjoys listening music and has a large collection of over 700-800 songs: “It’s mainly house music and remixes.” When we asked him about his goals, he stated, “Career-wise...to finish my degree and to open up my own web design firm.”

Mind, Body & Soul

DEAR QV READERS! Over the years, we have taken on numerous themes within the pages of qvMagazine. Well, this time we’ve upped the ante a little bit by taking on a trinity of issues all rolled into one! With our theme, “Mind, Body & Soul,” we are going to be looking at gay Latinos from three separate angles.

Featured Event: 9th Encuentro in Miami on October 10-14, 2002.

Tidbits of news, views, and politics—
...In and around the qvCommunity.

• GAY YOUTH STUDY GREENLIT • SFSU granted $876,965 to study gay youth & their families.
• CANADA GAY WEDDING BELLS? • Ontario Court Orders government to recognize gay marriages.
• HIV POSITIVE AND UNAWARE • New Studies Show Many Gay & Bisexual Men are HIV+...and Don’t Even Know It.
• CELEBRATE YOUR CULTURE! • Listings of fun-filled events for gays, Latinos, and gay Latinos throughout the country!

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Queen of Labels
Margaret Cho Talks About Being a Comedienne Who's Not Afraid to Say Anything!
--By Bradley Jacobson

MARGARET CHO knows about labels. She has been labeled the “Madonna of Comedy” or even the “Bjork of Comedy.” Her work has been called “gay comedy” and has launched the self-proclaimed fag hag into notoriety, but despite all the labels, she is really one of the most innovative comediennes around. In fact, labels have done nothing more than to give her more ammunition to fire in her work.

“I’ve heard so many inspiring stories, where people feel like they don’t fit in. After seeing the show, it’s the first time they ever walked out of a place feeling proud for being both gay and Latino.” —Margaret Cho

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A Blonde's Tale
Concrete Blonde Makes A Comeback and Talks About Latin Influences!
--By Bradley Jacobson

ROCK BAND CONCRETE BLONDE formed in Hollywood in the early ’80s, offering a unique brand of music that was part punk, part new wave, and part beatnik poets. Their songs spoke of city woes (“Still In Hollywood”), alcoholism (“Joey”), love, and more. Over the years, band members Johnette Napolitano, Harry Rushakoff and James Mankey faced numerous struggles, but none more challenging than the struggle among themselves. In 1993, the band finally broke up. But in the summer of 2001, they swallowed their past and got back together. The result was a successful new album “Group Therapy” which climbed into the top 10 on Billboard Magazine’s Modern Tracks charts. qvMagazine spoke with lead singer Johnette during the group’s recent tour.

“I’ve drawn great inspiration—particularly, from Latinas: they know they hold the cards, but don’t need to announce it. American women think they have so much to prove, that they f*ck themselves completely out of love, peace, home. It’s sad.” —Johnette Napolitano, Concrete Blonde

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Back in the Ring Again!
Boxer Gabriel Ruelas Talks About the Quest to Reclaim His World Title and About the Gay Latino Community!

MEETING FORMER WBC super featherweight champion Gabriel Ruelas for the first time was not what I expected. As the cliché goes, he’s a small guy with a powerful punch. In his posters and in the ring, Ruelas seems intimidating, but in person, he’s pleasant and open. If you were to see him on the street in regular clothes, you probably wouldn’t even recognize him.

“About three years ago, I met my friend Michael who was gay....I never thought of him as a ‘gay person,’ I thought of him as Michael. He opened my eyes, and made it easy for me to see gay people differently than I had before.”—Gabriel Ruelas

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Funny Girl
Lesbian Comedienne Monica Palacios Laughs Her Way to the Top.
--By Demetrio Roldán

MONICA PALACIOS is a Chicana comedienne who not only talks about pop culture, but also spices things up by adding a bit of nationality—and, of course, gay/lesbian sexuality. qvMagazine spoke with Monica about her path to success, her goal for the future, and her current new comedy show, “Queer Soul.”

"After I spoke, I got a really strong applause, and after the panel, a young man came up and said, 'You don’t know how much it meant to me that you actually talked about being gay. I’m dealing with that right now, and it’s tough sometimes. But listening to you really touched me. Thank you.' I really appreciated that."

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In the Know
New York City Teacher Geo Morales Educates the Generation of the Future.
--By Demetrio Roldán

EDUCATING The FUTURE generation of our country is perhaps the most important job a person can have. For the last three years, New York City educator Geo Morales has stepped up to the plate and made a difference in the lives of many, many students. A high school and college computer teacher, Geo has not only taught his students how to use the internet, he has also inspired them to strive for the best and to reach their goals in life...

“Once this issue (of qvMagazine) comes out, I’m going to bring it to school! I really don’t care. And if I make the cover, even better! (he laughs).” —Geo Morales

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Body-Licious!
Papi Chulos Show How They Maintain Their Bodies.

For millions of people, the thought of eating pizza, french fries, or fried chicken is too hard to resist, not to mention, eating those kinds of foods doesn’t do any good for your waistline. So how do some guys stay in shape? What is their secret? Meet David, Victor, and Dana...three guys, who we asked to tell us a little about themselves and how they keep their bodies looking simply irresistible!

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Astrolo-V
The fierce La Chicharona reveals what the stars have in store for you!
HEY QV READERS! It’s still hot outside, and it doesn’t look like this heatwave is going to go away anytime soon! So what does this mean? It means you still get to stare out your apartment window and watch all those fine papis walk on by—without their shirts on. Que rico! In the meantime, your sexy La Chicharona will pull out her tea leaves and let you know what you can expect to happen in your life during the next few months...

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Dear Papi
Boyfriend troubles getting you down? Let your dear 'ol Papi help you out.
THE PAPI IS IN! Haven’t you ever wished relationships weren’t so complicated? I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to find the right guy, the first time, then fall in love and have everything turn out right? Well, life isn’t quite that simple. But it’s all about learning and growing, and believe me, with relationships, you certainly learn and grow! So whatever is happening to you in your life right now, let me know...

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