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In contrast, Latina lesbians are richly represented in literature, beginning most notably with Chicana (Mexican-American) writers Gloria Anzaldua (Borderlands/La Frontera) and Cherrie Moraga (Loving in the War Years). Both writers use concepts of hybridity to explore the multiple identities and conflicts facing Latina lesbians in the United States, including their specific ethnic background (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc.), their gender, class status and religious background.

The one common thread in this literature is complexity: It is impossible to speak of a generic “Latina lesbian culture,” nor is it possible to predict how a specific Latin culture will deal with lesbianism or homosexuality.

On The L Word, Carmen is situated from the beginning as a Latina of Mayan heritage, and in Season 3 we learn that her mother's family hails specifically from Mexico. In the first episode of Season 3, “Labia Majora” (written by Ilene Chaiken), Carmen explains to her friends that coming out in a Mexican family is just not done:

Though Carmen's explanation may indeed apply to her specific family situation, it is important to note that the degree to which a family (of any ethnic background) is tolerant of homosexuality varies according to specifics, including the degree to which that family has assimilated to the United States, and whether or not they are aware of LGBT rights movements in their country of origin. More recent immigrants, though they may not be as Americanized as second or third-generation immigrants, may be more knowledgeable about LGBT issues in their home country.

In episode 3.2, “Lost Weekend,” written by critically acclaimed author A.M. Homes (The Safety of Objects), Carmen and Shane attend Carmen's 15-year-old cousin's quinceañera,
a birthday party celebrated in many Latino cultures. During the episode, in which Shane is forced to wear a dress and wig, Shane and Carmen dance together at the birthday party. When Shane asks if they are being too obvious, Carmen explains, “In the Latino culture, it's okay if two girls dance with each other.”

Her statement, which over-generalizes by using the word “Latino”— there are countless nations and ethnic groups that can be encompassed by that term — drives the scene firmly into stereotypical territory. Indeed, Carmen's entire family is extremely stereotypical, complete with the over-involved mother who wants nothing more than to feed the overly thin Shane and find her a boyfriend, and a gaggle of gossiping aunties to fix Shane's hair and coo over Carmen.

Carmen assures Shane, later on, that her mother and her family loves Shane, and while Shane says that she loves them too, she pertinently wonders, “I wonder how much they'd love me if they knew I was fucking their daughter.” Carmen does not give much thought to the matter at the time (she's more interested in seducing Shane), but given the fact that we're only a few episodes into Season 3, it is possible that we'll find out. It's questionable, however, whether that answer will be a nuanced one.

Like most of the other storylines on The L Word this season, Carmen's is truncated by time constraints. There are so many stories being told — from Moira's transition to Bette and Tina's dissolving relationship to Kit and Angus's blossoming romance — that none of them appear to be getting the time they need to develop with any real complexity.

There is certainly enough potential material for a fully-fleshed coming-out story for Carmen, but given the fact that there are so many competing stories, it is unlikely we will get more than a cursory exploration of what it means to be closeted in a traditional Latino household in Los Angeles. This may lay the necessary groundwork, however, to allow the next series that attempts such a storyline to go into more detail.

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