Mapa Mia!
Making small talk with Alec Mapa
by George Lefferson

Ah! Gay Days Anaheim, a time for LGBT people from all walks of life to don red t-shirts and descend upon Disneyland like so many scarlet butterflies. With dance parties, film screenings and special guest performers, not to mention a theme park, what could possibly make this event better? Alec Mapa, of course!
The star of Ugly Betty opened up to us about family, friends and fun at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

Do people ever confuse you with Rex Lee?
ALEC MAPA: No, but tons of people confuse him with me.

You, Rex and B.D. Wong are all gay Asian-Americans. We’ve heard of the Down Low in African American communities. Is there anything similar in the Asian-American communities?
Any homophobic culture will have a high occurrence of DL-ness. It’s not unique to any one community. You don’t have to be African American or Asian to feel ashamed.

Do you think high-profile gay Asian-Americans, like the three of you, are helping to debunk misconceptions and break cultural barriers?
I have no idea. Can you imagine how much bigger and fatter my head would get if I thought I actually made a difference?

You’re hosting Wonderland, the opening-night dance party at Gay Days: Anaheim. Will you be getting your groove on?
Hell yes! I’ll be there with Momma and every single one of my hot friends. All my friends are smoking. It kind of has to be seen to be believed.

Are you one of those circuit boys who rips off his shirt and flexes his muscles on the dance floor?
Well, yes, but without all the jaw jacking and crack-ness. Drugs make you look like crap and steal stuff. I’m a grown up, married lady!

There is a serious element to the night. It benefits The Trevor Project. What are your thoughts on The Trevor Project and the organization’s work?
Gay teen suicide attempts are four times higher than that of heterosexual youth. That means 33 percent of gay youth will attempt suicide. That’s insane ... and absolutely preventable. The Trevor Project helps teens in crisis imagine a world where they’d be safe and happy to be their authentic selves. Isn’t that what we all want?

Gay Days is being referred to as a “mix-in,” where gay and straight park-goers share the grounds. How do you feel about this? Do you like mixing with your straight fans?
I’m all about inclusion. I grew up in San Francisco. No one’s a minority. That’s normal for me. I love mixing with everybody. Ask anyone.

Gay and lesbian attendees are encouraged to wear red t-shirts to identify one another. What are your thoughts on this?
Red isn’t my ideal color, but there’s something fun about seeing a sea of red stream out of the Matterhorn, or a swath of red t-shirts all waving and screaming at The Little Mermaid.

Chad Allen will be introducing his new film, Ice Blues, at Gay Days. Have you seen the film yet?
I haven’t seen it yet, but Chad is a super talented friend and generous with his time, so I will be cheering the loudest.

Kimberly S. will be spinning, accompanied by performances from Erin Hamilton, Shoshana Bean and Matt Zarley. Are any of these artists on your iPod? 
Well, since I actually know both Shoshana and Matt, let’s say yes. I have some downloading to do... 

You wrote a one-man show entitled I Remember Mapa. What was it about and will you be performing any of it at Gay Days?
I’ll be more in “hosting” mode at gay days as opposed to performing. I Remember Mapa was about a nervous breakdown I had after moving to L.A. Nobody wants to hear about that at The Happiest Place on Earth.

Was it wonderful growing up gay in San Francisco? Was the experience different because you were a gay Filipino-American?
Growing up in San Francisco made me less fearful of different kinds of people. I never felt like being Filipin made it all that different ’cause half the city was Asian. I love San Francisco and I’m so proud it’s my hometown. I’ll be in San Francisco playing the Castro Street Theater September 13 in a comedy benefit for tthe Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Is the Filipino culture changing their views on homosexuality?
God, I hope so. I mean, out of all the Asians, we’re pretty much the gayest. Imelda Marcos doesn’t set that beehive all by herself, y’know.

Has being famous helped you gain acceptance in the community or do you still battle prejudice?
The LGBT community? They were always on my side. All my mentors were gays and lesbians who said, “Don’ change a thing.” When folks are prejudiced, it’s really more their problem than mine.

Has being famous helped your social life? 
Yes.

Is Us Weekly one day going to publish your Manhunt photos?
Not as long as those Jolie-Pitt twins keep hogging the spotlight.

How do you know if people are dating you for you or if they’re into your celebrity? Does it even matter?
My husband and I started dating when I was broke and nobody cared who I was. Celebrity isn’t real. If someone’s with you just because of that, you’re screwed when it’s over. My husband Jamie isn’t impressed with anyone. Bono sat next to us at a Broadway show and all my husband could say was, “That guy smells like booze.”

There are tons of good-lookers on the show.  If you could date anyone on the show, who would it be and why?
Like Betty, I always used to vacillate between Gio and Henry, but now that Eddie Cibrian is on the show, I’m totally confused.

If You Go — Gay Days Anaheim takes place October 3-5 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. One-day, single park passes are $66 for adults and $56 for children and are available at Disneyland’s entrance or from disneyland.com. Complete details about Gay Days at Disneyland are available at GayDaysAnaheim.com.