Red-Inked Retablos been celebrated for the fact it gives a voice to gay Chicano men, who are not represented in traditional discourse and literature. Rigoberto cleverly explores this marginal perspective through a combination of his own experiences and cultural representations. Significantly, Rigoberto includes this experience in traditional Mexican culture, by connecting his experience of writing to the tradition of retablos. He also relates the pain and passion of writing, to the "blood-red ink" that often decorates retablos.
Interestingly, in this text, Rigoberto explores the concept of "Mariposa literature." A number of different texts, themes and writers are grouped under this term, who each define and voice the LGBTQ+ experience in Mexico. Rigoberto explains that "mariposa as a queer Latino term has been featured prominently in projects showcasing a gay Chicano/Latino identity, hence my naming of this period of literary production "mariposa lit".... though it is a word that traces a specific lineage to Mexican slang, [the term] has grown in popularity and sentimental significance." Indeed, part of the power of this term is the fact that "mariposa" is often used as an insult for gay men in Mexico. Rigoberto, therefore, takes this term and reclaims it, turning it into a symbol of beauty and perseverance.
