Interview with Biff Warren

Biff Warren is the president of Flying Cow Marketing and Media, the organizers behind SanJuanBrothas, the annual gay pride event held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In this interview, Biff explains why there are separate African-American pride events, the low down on Puerto Rico and who he'd most like to meet in this world.

Some wonder why there are separate prides for gay and lesbian African-Americans. Is there a need?

Until we as a nation can live harmoniously as "one" there will always be a need for separate community events and activities be it hetero, homo, red, yellow, black, brown, young, old, or disabled. There is a level of ignorance in the world that assumes because we are gay men and women we stand together holding hands singing “Kum Ba Yah” and “Flying Without Wings,” the remix produced by Bono featuring RuPaul. This is far from the truth. As African American gay men and women we are not always included or represented in “mainstream” gay media and lifestyle as a part of the “community,” so the need for Black Gay events and Prides, and circuit parties, and media is a response to a lack of inclusion.

What can a man that’s never been to a pride expect?

Any man who has never been to a Pride will probably go in expecting something they have seen on the news or on some television special on LOGO. But to attend a Black Gay Pride, especially in cities like Washington, DC, Los Angeles and/or Atlanta, GA , expected to be overwhelmed, in a good way, of course. The people, the flow of information, the networking, the support, the energy, the fashions! There are thousands of other men, women, who too are same gender loving!

What makes gay Puerto Rico unique?

As a destination festival the experience is more vacation and less traditional Black Gay Pride. We hope to create a vehicle which speaks to the discerning traveler who wants the Black Gay Event experience in a tropical surrounding. This particular event speaks to a professional man moreover than a youngster just kicking down the closet door.

Have you ever performed in drag? When and where?

Picture it! February 1990 One Night Only, Naomi Evans (Florida’s Sister in Law) Live at Loretta’s Atlanta, GA for Charity. I made $422 bucks for the charity.

If you could change anything about your childhood what would it be?

I would have had brothers and sisters and three dogs named Diane, Flo and Mary.

...and your adult life?

POWERBALL! $300 million is enough to change my life. If anyone is looking for me I will be in Los Cabos.

I'm going to say the colors of the pride flag, and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind?

RED - Blood
ORANGE - My Favorite Color
YELLOW - The Sun
GREEN - Tyler Perry
BLUE - The Color of Life
VIOLET - The Purple Badness

Who do you most want to meet?

Wow! Everyone who I ever want to meet I have. So I guess the next people on that list for me would be Moses, Dorothy Dandridge, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Buddha and oh yes, Louis Armstrong.