Jade Esteban Estrada struts across the stage. He is wearing a long curly

wig, a white dress and a pair of green sequined short-shorts. He is Sappho, history's very first lesbian.

     Comedian, vocalist and songwriter, Estrada starred in the 209th performance of "ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Volume 1," Sept. 20 in Mitchell Hall at the University of Delaware.

     A San Antonio native, Estrada also performed "Tortilla Heaven,” a story of life, love and making tortillas the American way, Sept. 21.

     Estrada was given the 2005 Pride in the Arts Award for Performance Artist of the Year and, in 2006, he was awarded Best Solo Performance from the Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival. Estrada has also appeared on Comedy Central's "The Graham Norton Effect."

     An ex-choreographer for Charo, Estrada got his start with his first single, "Reggae Twist" in 1998. The song started as a side project, in which producers wanted to create a pop hit similar to "The Macarena." Estrada recorded the song in Spanish.

     "The worst case scenario was it would be some cheesy song I could use for auditions," Estrada says. "The English version flopped, but the Spanish version took off."

     Experiences like this have made Estrada believe that nothing done in life is ever wasted. After the success of "Reggae Twist" he needed to become better at Spanish for his trips to Puerto Rico, Mexico and South America.

     "When you have a million people asking you about your music, you tend to learn Spanish really fast," he says.

     After he was able to speak Spanish fluently, the third-generation Mexican American wanted to create a show that would connect him with his roots. With the writing skills of his sister, Celeste Angela, Estrada created "Tortilla Heaven," a bilingual show based on the experiences of a Mexican-American family. The show took off and Estrada has been performing the "ICONS" trilogy and "Tortilla Heaven" around the country to great acclaim.

     Since he's worked with many talented people, Estrada says he always has to be at the top of his game, and he loves the challenge.

     "You need momentum in your work," he says. "It's the excitement, it's a job and an obligation, but one I earnestly love. I don't remember a time when I didn't want to do this."

     Estrada says he sacrifices for his work, but appreciates every laugh, because he knows he works hard for them.

     Even though his performances put his sexuality on display, Estrada says he puts more emphasis on the other roles in his life.

     "My profession has defined me as 'Mr. Gay,' but I'm an uncle, a brother, a son and an artist," he says. "I am many things before I am a gay man."

     Estrada hopes that his shows will teach people about gay history, as well as helping them to understand and accept the gay community.

     "Everyone has to come to their own sense of tolerance over time," he says. "My shows are entertainment tools increasing tolerance between people who are not always tolerated. No community is exempt from prejudice. It's a human trait.

     Estrada says the gay community has changed over the last decade and this generation doesn't feel the need to participate in the activism of the older generations. He says this generation sometimes doesn’t feel the need to join the movement.

     Estrada says he believes political focus on the gay community is unnecessary and somewhat misguided.

     "Christian conservatives like to think we're like a gay mafia planning a revolution in the gay bat cave, but really, we can't even decide what time to meet next Tuesday," he laughs.

     Estrada says he believes all of the emphasis on gay marriage is also hype. He says the word "marriage" comes from a religious place and the battle should be with the government, not the church.

     "I believe separation of church and state has always been the best policy," he says. "What we want is equal rights under the law. It has nothing to do with the pope or religion. It has to do with being able to take care of a loved one in the hospital, taking care of legal things and having the same rights as other American couples. The term 'gay marriage' has become a little monster that has scared conservatives, and sometimes the loudest voices are not the most thought out."

     Even with all of the progress the gay community has made, Estrada still feels nervous about how his audiences will handle the subjects of his shows, especially in areas not commonly known for diversity.

     "Honestly, if it's not New York or Los Angeles I sometimes don’t know what to expect when I walk onstage," he says.

     Estrada says even though he is sometimes uncomfortable, traveling around the country has made him realize how important his work is and how sheltered many people are. He says he feels privileged the university asked him to perform both shows.

     "Students are lucky Delaware is so open-minded," he says. "It's the people who go the extra mile and think outside the box and get a little uncomfortable that make the difference. I encourage that. This way we can get past the prejudice and see others as we see ourselves."

     Senior Lindsay Higdon says she feels diversity events are beneficial to the university community.

     "These sorts of things are great to bring to the table in a different light using comedy," Higdon says. "Diversity events on campus give students a chance to learn about new things without getting bored."

     Junior Brian Kuchcicki says he wishes there were more programs like Estrada's on campus.

     "I thought the show was fabulous, very well done," Kuchcicki says. "I came to learn about the history of the gay community because there really isn't enough information on the subject."

     Victor Argothy, a graduate assistant for the Office of Latino and Latin American Heritage, which co-sponsored the events, says he felt it was important to support the shows because of the diversity Estrada promotes. He says putting "ICONS" and "Tortilla Heaven" back to back was a bold move for the university and he's proud to be involved.

     Lindsay Hagerman, coordinator and graduate assistant for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Office, the events' other co-sponsor, says she wishes more people would break out of their circles and come to diversity programs.

     "People feel if they aren't gay or part of the group, why should they go to this kind of event, which is absurd," Hagerman says. "It's important for people to come out to learn about other groups outside their own."

     While on stage as Gertrude Stein, Estrada expresses his true feelings.

     "The more you look at peoples' differences, the more you realize that we’re all the same," he says. "Don't get caught up in all this gay activism. We're all in this together - it's not a gay thing, it's a human thing."

©2006 The Review - The University of Delaware