Singer-songwriter Tom Goss has timed the release of his latest song, La Bufadora, to coincide with October’s National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The video for the song, starring Goss and Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls, Looking) follows two men as they struggle through a violent and explosive relationship.
Goss hopes to shed light on how prevalent domestic violence can be in the LGBT community. The video has received more than 23,000 views in its first week. Goss is donating some of the proceeds to support the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Intimate Partner/Domestic Violence Program.
Goss spoke with LGBT News Now about the personal inspiration behind La Bufadora.
What’s the story behind the song?
Goss: I wrote the song after a long weekend away with my husband. We had been really struggling and went down to Mexico to try to reconnect. There was a lot of talking, fighting, crying, breaking, and healing. During that same trip, we drove down to La Bufadora (south of Ensenada). [Ed note: Roughly translated as “the snorter,” La Bufadora is an underwater cave that regularly sucks in sea water and spits it out the cave’s top, drenching visitors to the site.]
I couldn’t help be struck by the similarities between us and La Bufadora. We had built a marriage full of love, memories, and excitement, but we were also easily triggered and explosive.
What have you learned about domestic violence in the LGBT community from doing this song or from your own life?
Goss: I have had so many friends and fans open up to me about their experience with domestic abuse. This song, and the outreach around it, have taught me just how prevalent domestic abuse is in our community. But more than that, it has continued to show me how resilient we are as a community. I am so proud to be a part of the LGBT community. We are a group of strong, independent survivors.
What do you hope people will take away from the song?
Goss: I want people to have hope. I want people to know that they have the power to reclaim their lives. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.
You’ve tackled challenging subjects before, like in your video for Son of a Preacher Man. How do you strike the balance in storytelling and shining a light on an issue?
Goss: Michael Serrato directed La Bufadora and Son of a Preacher Man. That balance couldn’t be struck, and these stories couldn’t be told, without his wisdom and guidance. More than anything, we want to tell stories that are honest and authentic to our community. Our lives are complicated, dynamic, tragic, and beautiful. When we approach these stories, we do it knowing that we live in a world of gray, not black and white. We try to dig beneath the surface of the issues and focus on the journey of the characters within.
Why did you chose the Center to benefit from the proceeds of this song?
Goss: The Center is amazing! When looking for an organization to support with this video, it was no surprise to me to see that the Center was one of the few organizations addressing domestic violence amongst LGBT couples. From what I can tell, there is not an issue in our community that the Center doesn’t address, and address well. I hope I can find new ways to support them in the future.