Alec Mapa and the LGBT Movement

Alec Mapa is an openly gay Filipino American actor, comedian, and writer. He has recurring roles in “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” where the characters he plays are flamboyantly homosexual. Mapa has been recognized by the LGBT community as an outspoken promoter of equal rights. His identity as a gay Filipino American is significant in this regard: large parts of the Filipino community are anti-gay rights according to their religious dogmas, and for Mapa to stand up as the gay Filipino American posterchild really enables the gay Filipino minority to be comfortable with their identities.

Alec Mapa, gay Filipino American actor

The LGBT equal rights movement has really been picking up in recent years, and Mapa's visibility on national television lends to society's perception of LGBT community as a normal part of everyday life (which it is, but isn't perceived as). Though gay rights have suffered in the past couple years' elections, Mapa's and others' dedication to the cause has not wavered. Beyond just representing the LGBT community on television, Mapa participates in fund raising events to raise money for equal rights.

Mapa with cast members of "Ugly Betty"

Part of the growth of the LGBT movement is due to national exposure of a wide spectrum of sexual identities. However, playing a flamboyantly gay character is extremely challenging to do because the character potentially can scare off the audience. It's one thing for the audience to find out that a character is gay and be comfortable with it, but another thing entirely to know from first glance that a character is gay and be comfortable with it. Mapa has a very good way of representing the flamboyant lifestyle while making the characters palatable to a potentially anti-gay audience. In this respect, Mapa can lend support to gay Filipino American and Asian Americans who are coming to terms with their identities. Also, he helps society identify with having the LGBT community as an integral part of society.

Mapa on set of "Desperate Housewives" with Eva Longoria

As a gay Filipino American playing gay characters on national television, Alec Mapa has lent considerable support to the LGBT community. He and other actors and actresses have been doing their part to bring awareness of the LGBT community and cultural acceptance and equal rights for all. Mapa's role in bringing awareness has been particularly helpful in the Asian American community, where being openly gay can be very hard to do and be supported due to the anti-gay posturing of the culture as a whole. Hopefully, with time, Mapa's efforts will shine through and the LGBT community will gain the equal rights and cultural acceptance they deserve.

Mapa at the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Awards with Kate Walsh

-RZ