Radio Soap Opera Portrays Gay Discrimination

A three-part radio soap opera is scheduled to broadcast on Spanish radio stations as part of an attempt to better educate California's rural Latino population about LGBT rights and issues.

The radionovela, "Bienvenidos a Casa," or "Welcome Home," follows Carlos, a gay Latino teenager who is rejected by friends and family because he is gay. He eventually finds acceptance from his mother and neighbors.

The program was put together by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.'s Proyecto Poderoso, which aims to increase acceptance among Spanish-speaking families.

Proyecto Poderoso Manager Dan Torres said in a statement last week, "Through this unique storytelling platform, we hope to open up the dialogue in Spanish-speaking Latino households, breaking down the walls of communication, and helping Latino families begin conversations on issues they otherwise would never talk about, and providing them with a greater understanding of the hurt and damage experienced by adults, children, and youth who don't have their family's full, loving support and acceptance."

The show will premier Friday between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Radio Bilingue's "Rock-in da House," according to California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc, and will air 10 times through March 31 across the state's eight Radio Bilingue stations.