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An interview with Sandra Valls

Sandra Valls can make anything funny. On the way to Boston for a show with fellow comic Mimi Gonzalez, the duo managed to make the drive part comedy – by disposing of a bag of sex toys along the way, leaving items tucked away on aptly named streets that made them giggle like elementary school students.

While Valls has been known to be dirty in her stand-up performances, the out comic is deeper than that. She’s one of four comics taking part in Showtime’s Pride: Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam special, airing June 2. Bruce Villance hosts and Valls will be joined by Ugly Betty’s Alec Mapa, Poppy Champlin and Scott Kennedy.

Valls recently took a break from the road to discuss performing for gay audiences, embarrassing moments at Pride and why visibility matters.

AfterEllen.com: How does one come to be part of a gay pride-themed Showtime comedy special?

Sandra Valls: This is my second Showtime special. The first was The Latin Divas of Comedy, which, by the way, I just finished doing a mini-tour with them this past weekend. The same producer loves me and called me and said they were doing a gay Showtime special, that’s part of the LOL Comedy Festival and asked me to participate. It’s a really great mixture of people. We have something for everyone: the gay boys, the gay girls, even me and Poppy’s comedy is different, as is Alec’s and Scott’s.

AE: How do you approach taping a gay show for a national audience? Do you approach it differently than your typical stand-up?

SV: No. Actually, when I did the Latin Divas of Comedy or any TV spot I do, I still do myself. I don’t change my comedy around at all. I explain a little bit more when I’m doing a straight room, but this one, the audience was gay, we were all just really gay and having a gay ol’ time. [Laughs]

It wasn’t different. It was a gay comedy show. It’s like when I do Latino shows, I don’t have to explain that I’m Latino, except for a little because they think I’m white or Armenian or something. But once I start talking, it’s understood. Just like with our people!

I’m just so blessed to be on Showtime again and that Showtime is still promoting the gay community. … I don’t think it’s a very unique title – Pride: Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam. [Laughs]

AE: Well, June is Pride month so it makes sense on that level, right?

SV: Yeah, but if you Google “pride comedy gay and lesbian,” you’re going to get a million websites. So you should Google Sandra Valls and you’ll get the Showtime special!

AE: Is that all we’d get if we Googled you?

SV: Ohhhh, no. You’d get a lot more than you bargained for. The old days, when I was first starting out! You do anything you can! You’ll be constantly surprised if you Googled me.

AE: What’s the most embarrassing thing that would come up?

SV: Maybe a stupid picture. I’m not really embarrassed. I’m pretty ballsy. Everything embarrassing happens to me. If it can happen to anyone, it’d happen to me.

AE: What’s your most embarrassing moment?

SV: Damn, I knew you were going to ask me that. One of my most embarrassing moments – between you, me and the rest of the lesbian world? Years ago, I was at a Pride and went to use the restroom in the Porta-Potty. The door is closed, and I’m hovering. As I’m sitting there, the door swings wide open. I’m standing there with my pants at my ankles. There was a line of like 90 people waiting. The door swings wide open and the gay guy who opened it screams at the top of his lungs. I scream and the entire line turns around! But the door is still open! I come out and the gay guy who screams sticks out his pinkie and says, “We bonded, girl!” How did we bond? I just walked away!

AE: Your story will serve as a good warning heading into Pride season: Open those doors carefully!

SV: You would think that he’d scream and slam the door, but no, he left it open. Close the door! Now I don’t use Porta-Pottys.

AE: What does a show like Pride: Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam mean to you in terms of visibility?

SV: There are people who still need awareness about what being gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual is all about. The more we create awareness, the more people can stay informed and make informed decisions. We have a saying in Buddhism, “You can’t unring a bell.” You can pretend you didn’t hear it, but that’d be stupid. So the more visibility we have, that creates more awareness, which in turn changes people’s minds and their behavior.

Not too long ago, one of the producers I was working with hired me and two other comics to go to Miami and we were each supposed to headline a night and rotate. The second night comes around and I’m No. 2. The third night comes around and I’m supposed to be the headliner. They came up to me and said, “If you want to headline, you’ll have to change your act. You have to make it a little more mainstream.” They danced around it for a minute, and I asked, “Are you calling me too gay?” And they responded: “Yeah.” So I said, “Well, you wouldn’t say that the other girl was too straight after she explained how to please a man. That’s not too straight, right? But I’m making jokes about my girlfriend and being gay in general and I’m too gay?” The promoter said yes and to change my act. I said no. I didn’t change my act. I didn’t headline. But when I came out after the audience loved me I asked, “You don’t think I’m a little too gay, do you?” They said no.

It’s important to have visibility. We live in Los Angeles, but someone in Nowheresville doesn’t get the same live comedy or even benefits that we have – gay bars, etc. They just can’t get in their cars and have a gay community.

“Pride: Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam” airs Wednesday, June 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

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