What's the story about Chavez and Cyndi Lauper?

[IndianaGreen]

Re: viral story posted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=97337&mesg_id=97337

Since the government has a death grip on the Venezuelan press, official information is scarce, but Miss Lauper herself is expected to make a blog post regarding the cancellation on her official site soon!

http://perezhilton.com/2008-12-01-venezuelan-prez-cancels-cyndi-lauper-concert-because-she-supports-gay-rights

Chavez doesn't control the press in Venezuela, quite the opposite. For years Chavez has been mercilessly attacked by a media owned by the Venezuelan elites. The above statement is nothing but caca del toro.

Kylie Minogue has performed in Venezuela and she supports LGBT rights.

On edit:

Nothing about this viral story in El Universal, a major Venezuelan daily which is in the "death grip" of Chavez's opposition.

http://espectaculos.eluniversal.com/musica_index.shtml

Nothing here when I did a "Busca" on Lauper:

http://www.eluniversal.com/resultado.shtml?cx=000299334537543304768%3Aajd-bshwhpo&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=Lauper&sa.x=21&sa.y=10#921

Resultados 1 - 10 de Lauper (0.37 segundos)


Búsqueda personalizada
Cultura y Espectáculos - eluniversal.com11 Jul 2008 ... Se trata de Cindy Lauper, quien se subirá el próximo 29 de ... Así como Lauper tampoco omitirá parte de su repertorio más reciente. ...
www.eluniversal.com/2008/07/11/til_art_cindy-lauper-aterriz_940863.shtml

Estampas"A mí me fascinaba Cyndi Lauper y seguía su estilo: muchos colores, ... Y en cuanto a los vestidos, vuelvo nuevamente a Cyndi Lauper: en el disco True ...
www.eluniversal.com/estampas/encuentros4_b.shtml

EstampasGracias a mi papá crecí escuchando desde Cyndi Lauper hasta las estrellas de la Fania, pasando por Los Beatles, Abba y Donna Summer. ...
www.eluniversal.com/estampas/anteriores/220106/encuentros.shtml

Cultura y Espectáculos - eluniversal.com21 Jul 2008 ... cindy lauper. La conocida cantante estadounidense acaba de cumplir 55 años de edad, el pasado 22 de junio; y anunció que vendrá al país en ...
www.eluniversal.com/2008/07/21/til_art_guia-lunes--21-07_937072.shtml

Arte y Entretenimiento - EL UNIVERSAL27 Sep 2008 ... No es que Kylie Minogue, Cyndi Lauper, R.E.M. y Maroon 5 se presentarán en el país, sino que las bandas de rock Collective Soul y El Canto ...
www.eluniversal.com/2008/09/27/til_art_el-canto-del-loco-y_1065573.shtml

eluniversal.comBritney Spears se unirá a concierto de Cyndi Lauper. La cantante estadounidense Britney Spears volverá a los escenarios el próximo 30 de junio en Los ...
www.eluniversal.com/2007/06/25/imp_til_art_en-capsulas_332813.shtml

Arte y Entretenimiento - eluniversal.comAdemás los niños de Springfield se rebelan cuando Gorgory establece un toque de queda y Cindy Lauper llegue al pueblo. Fox. 8:30 p.m. y 9:00 p.m. ...
www.eluniversal.com/2008/08/26/til_art_guia-martes--26-08_1010417.shtml

Cultura y Espectáculos - eluniversal.comCyndi Lauper se unirá a Alan Cumming, Jim Dale, Ana Gasteyer y Nellie McKay en la producción de "The Threepenny Opera" a cargo de la Compañía Roundabout ...
www.eluniversal.com/2005/12/24/til_art_24350D.shtml

EstampasLideraban las carteleras True Colors de Cyndi Lauper o bien Hello de Lionel Richie. “No, un momento, la canción romántica de los ochenta, por excelencia, ...
www.eluniversal.com/estampas/anteriores/301005/aniv52_3.shtml

Espectáculos - eluniversal.com12 Mar 2007 ... Artista: Cindy Lauper. Cortes: Doce. Género: Pop. Disquera: Sony/Bmg. Estaban Madonna y ella. En los ochenta pegó varios éxitos que ahora ...
www.eluniversal.com/2007/03/12/til_art_guia-lunes-//-12-03_202414.shtml

[IndianaGreen]

1. Cyndi Lauper performed in Venezuela on November 29 (2 sources)

Sat/Nov-29 Caracas Aula Magna UCV ENDED (0)

http://www.cyndilauper.com/index.php?module=tour

And then there is this regarding the source of the Perez Hilton story:

Interesting. The original source is a brazilian blog, that itself lists no source for its information.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/12/venezuelas-chav.html

You all been had by a righwing blogger!

[Moloch]

2. it really is a shame that

a fat, pathetic lowlife like perezhilton has any credibility whatsoever.

[IndianaGreen]

3. 275 DUers viewed the Perez Hilton thread and were led to believe it was true

Like I said, El Universal is a major opposition newspaper in Venezuela and they would have said something about Lauper. Before I started checking the story out I was under the impression that Perez Hilton was engaging in hyperbole, and that perhaps the concert had been cancelled but not for the reasons given.

The false story has gone viral on the American internet, but not a word in Latin American websites.

[EFerrari]

4. That story is not even plausible. The part about the press

is the first big clue and the party's platform is another. Not to mention, common sense. How many gay or gay rights supporting lefties have been welcomed by Chavez on visits to Venezuela?

But, I'm sure the folks that called Chavez a pig will shortly check in and take it back. And, I'm sure the OP will be happy their concern was groundless.

[EFerrari]

5. Btw, trying to run this down, I learned a few things.

A Chavez government rep has marched in Venezuela Gay Pride every year of its administration -- a first for any administration in Venezuela.

One of the reasons the Catholic Church as attacked Chavez is his government's support for gay rights, as when he said in a 2002 broadcast that the new 1999 constitution should have included gay civil rights -- a measure that was blocked by the church.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/1512

A group of Catholic priests, Lutherans and Anglicans actually started a "reform Catholic Church of Venezuela" which welcomes gay parishioners.

http://christianpost.com/article/20080701/venezuela-priests-open-pro-chavez-church.htm

[IndianaGreen]

6. and the Lauper concert went on as scheduled on Nov 29

but those in DU community that are so quick to swallow unsubstantiated stories about Chavez are not to be dissuaded, anymore than those that are convinced that Obama was born in Kenya.

[Peace Patriot]

7. The Chavez-proposed Constitutional amendments contained equal rights for gays & women,

in the national vote in Dec 07. The entire amendment proposal (69 amendments on a wide variety of issues) likely went down to narrow defeat because of this championing of equal rights by the Chavez government and the National Assembly. Venezuela has a particularly rightwing Catholic clergy that openly opposed equal rights. The rightwing ran ads that said that, if the amendments passed, the government would take children away from their mothers. There was also voter confusion (too many amendments, too many issues). Wingers say that "the people of Venezuela have spoken" on Chavez running again (the amendment that lifted term limits), but this is by no means clear. The amendment package lost by a hair--50.7% to 49.3%--with about 10% of normal Chavez voters abstaining, while Chavez's personal popularity continued throughout (60%-65% range, as today). Other issues included pensions for street vendors, a slight shortening of the work week, free universal college education, and more presidential control of the central bank (which was a good idea, considering the Financial 9/11 that the Bushwhacks just pulled off). Voter confusion and the equal rights amendment more than likely sank the package, not term limits.

I hope that the term limits issue goes to a national vote as a stand-alone issue, to settle this matter once and for all. Al Giordano's analysis of the recent by-elections (governors, mayors) points to an increase in Chavez's popularity and that of his socialist party--another thing that the rightwing has misconstrued. The rightwing in Venezuela and their corpo/fascist press predicted a 60/40 win for the rightwing opposition, but Chavez and his party won 17 of 23 governorships (Giordano has a map), and increased their overall vote by 1.3 million votes--vs the vote on the Constitutional amendments one year ago--and the opposition is down by 300,000 votes.

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/al-giordano/2008/11/romeros-folly-ny-times-reporter-calls-chavezs-landslide-electoral-victo

With a vote on just one issue--term limits--we will see if Venezuelans are thinking along narrow legalistic lines (the arguments for term limits--mostly a rightwing idea, of late vintage in the U.S.--a 1950s Republican move against the "New Deal") (our own Founders opposed term limits), or along more general political/economic lines (as when our own FDR ran for, and won, four terms in office, because the people wanted and needed his leadership).

Any of the ideas that lost by such a narrow vote probably merit re-visiting by the voters. It's certainly reasonable to try again--given the close vote and the evidence of voter confusion. But I am ambivalent about the equal rights amendment--since, like Prop 8 in California, it seems wrong somehow to be voting pro/con on someone's equal rights. Equal rights are guaranteed by both the US and Venezuelan Constitutions (and by California's). Legislators and the courts should be enforcing those provisions, and helping to educate the public on the perfidy of unequal rights. What if someone were to put slavery on the ballot? Should we be voting on slavery pro/con? Well, back in the 1800s, states did just that, in some cases--and of course we had a very bloody war over the matter. But once the principle is established, should it--could it--ever come up for a vote again? These Constitutions establish EQUAL RIGHTS OF ALL CITIZENS. The matter is SETTLED. And frankly I think including equal rights for women and gays in that laundry list of 69 amendments may have violated the Venezuelan Constitution (as well as being a strategic political mistake). The various state laws against gay marriage here certainly do violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, and any non-Bushwhack Supreme Court and DoJ would be upholding the Constitution on this issue. The same with Venezuela. It should not be voted on, in my opinion. It is implied in the Constitution. The Constitution should be upheld, with regard to any legal or business practices that discriminate against women or gays.

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that the Chavez government made an effort on this issue--at great political risk. To accuse Chavez of sexual bigotry is absurd and absolutely wrong.