Gilbertona, widely known across Mexico as “La Gilbertona,” was the public persona of Gilberto Salomón Vázquez, a Sinaloan man who became one of the country’s most recognised LGBT+ internet celebrities before her death in March 2024. She built a large following through short, unfiltered videos that mixed sharp humour with candid reflections on ageing, sexuality, and daily life in Culiacán. Her fame eventually extended beyond social media, inspiring corridos and cumbias from regional Mexican artists and turning several of her one-liners into lasting internet slang.
Who Was La Gilbertona?
Gilberto Salomón Vázquez was born on January 11, 1936, in Guamúchil, Sinaloa, and moved to Culiacán at age twelve, the city where she would spend most of her life. She settled in the Tierra Blanca neighborhood and, by her own account, never married, though she described a nearly two-year relationship with a man while living in the United States before returning to Sinaloa.
Long before smartphones turned her into a household name, she spent years working in the sex trade along the US-Mexico border, a chapter she discussed openly rather than concealed. She consistently framed that period as a personal choice tied to her lifestyle, and that candor later became part of what made her public persona feel genuine to audiences.
Real Name and Public Identity
Her legal name, Gilberto Salomón Vázquez, rarely appeared in headlines once “La Gilbertona” became her defining public identity. Fans and journalists referred to her almost exclusively by that nickname, a pattern common among internet personalities whose adopted persona eventually overshadows their given name.
Gilbertona Quick Facts
| Associated with | Culiacán, Sinaloa |
| Age at death | 88 |
| Died | March 14, 2024 |
| Known for | Viral videos, humor, memorable quotes, and musical tributes |
| Birthplace | Guamúchil, Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Born | January 11, 1936 |
| Known as | La Gilbertona |
| Full name | Gilberto Salomón Vázquez |
What Was Gilbertona Famous For?
Gilbertona became famous for candid, humorous social-media videos built around blunt reactions, regional slang, and an unfiltered public persona. Her popularity also grew through widely shared quotes, memes, TikTok clips, and musical tributes such as corridos and cumbias. Over time, La Gilbertona became more than a local viral personality: her visibility as an older LGBT+ figure from Sinaloa became an important part of how fans and media remembered her.
Her rise didn’t hinge on one breakout clip. It built gradually, through years of homemade videos where she reacted to daily events with blunt, often profane commentary. What separated her from countless other local personalities was a specific combination: her age, her openness about belonging to the LGBT+ community, and her refusal to soften her opinions for anyone watching.
That combination struck a nerve in a country where older LGBT+ individuals rarely get visibility in mainstream or digital media. Her videos gave voice to a demographic Mexican media had largely overlooked, and became an important part of how audiences and media discussed her cultural significance beyond her hometown.
By the later years of her life, she had built a following in the millions on platforms including TikTok, with clips regularly drawing hundreds of thousands of interactions. Even established musicians took notice — regional star Natanael Cano was among those who visited her personally to perform corridos in her honor, a moment that circulated widely online and cemented her crossover into music.
Songs About La Gilbertona: Corridos and Cumbias
Gilbertona’s cultural footprint is unusual for an internet personality because it extended directly into recorded music. More than one act chose to dedicate a full song to her, a musical tribute tradition common in Sinaloan regional genres for local legends and colorful characters, treating her as a genuine folk figure rather than a passing meme.
| Song | Artist | Release | Notable Detail |
| La Cumbia de Gilbertón | Los Alegres del Barranco | August 2016 | Gilbertona appears on camera in the music video; over 4.6 million YouTube views |
| El Corrido de la Gilbertona | Pedro Rivera ft. El Prisionero de Sinaloa | — | Follows the traditional corrido format, narrating her story in verse |
La Cumbia de Gilbertón
Los Alegres del Barranco released this music video in August 2016, with Gilbertona herself featured on camera as the subject. The clip has surpassed 4.6 million views on YouTube, a clear sign her appeal reached well beyond social media into the wider regional-Mexican music audience.
El Corrido de la Gilbertona
Pedro Rivera and El Prisionero de Sinaloa recorded this tribute track using the traditional corrido format, which narrates a subject’s story in verse. Corridos have a long tradition of narrating the lives and stories of notable, controversial, or culturally significant figures. A corrido dedicated to Gilbertona therefore illustrates how her public persona extended beyond social media into regional musical culture.
Together, these two tracks show something rare: a viral internet figure absorbed into an established musical tradition rather than staying confined to short-form clips. Few social media personalities cross that line, making it one of the clearest markers of how deeply Gilbertona resonated across Sinaloa and Mexico.
Most Famous Gilbertona Quotes
A large part of Gilbertona’s lasting presence rests on short, punchy lines pulled directly from her videos, many of which became captions and memes on their own. Her official social accounts catalogued several recurring phrases, including “cuando no te gustó el intercambio,” “los del corazón son cardiólogos,” and “no eres del guisado,” each tied to a specific reaction clip fans kept circulating long after it was first posted.
Other lines spread through TikTok reposts, including her blunt, regional-slang greetings to fans in Culiacán. Compilation videos dedicated entirely to her “frases más virales” confirm this quotability wasn’t incidental — it was central to her appeal, since her unscripted outbursts often produced lines nobody could have written on purpose.
That distinction matters: unlike influencers who script catchphrases for engagement, Gilbertona’s quotes emerged organically from unfiltered reactions, giving them a sense of authenticity that scripted internet humor typically lacks.
The Cultural Significance of Gilbertona
Beyond entertainment, Gilbertona carried real symbolic weight for Mexico’s LGBT+ community, particularly for older gay and gender-nonconforming individuals who rarely see themselves represented publicly. Coverage following her death repeatedly described her as one of the most influential voices speaking to and for older adults within the LGBT+ community — a group often invisible even within broader LGBT+ advocacy.
Gilbertona was not primarily known as a formal activist. However, coverage of her public life often treated her visibility and self-expression as meaningful representation for older LGBT+ people in Mexico. Outlets covering the LGBTQ+ community credited her with pioneering visibility and self-expression during decades when such openness carried real social risk.
Death and Legacy
Gilberto Salomón Vázquez died on March 14, 2024, at his home in the Chapultepec neighbourhood of Culiacán, at age 88. Medical reports attributed his death to pneumonia complicated by pulmonary emphysema and prior health issues. His passing came just days after false rumours of his death had already circulated online, so the confirmed news landed as a second, more painful wave for fans who had briefly believed the earlier reports were untrue.
Tributes poured in across Mexican social media, with fellow content creators, musicians, and everyday followers sharing memorial videos and reposting her most memorable moments. Major national outlets covered her death as the loss of a genuine cultural figure rather than simply a viral internet personality, underscoring how far her reach had extended by the end of her life.
Since then, her name has continued to surface in music retrospectives, tribute videos, and nostalgia posts, especially around the anniversary of her passing. That continued presence suggests her legacy is settling into something more permanent than typical viral fame — closer to a recognised regional folk figure whose story outlived the trend cycle that first made her famous.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who was La Gilbertona?
La Gilbertona was the public persona of Gilberto Salomón Vázquez, a Sinaloan internet celebrity known for viral videos and his status as an LGBT+ icon in Mexico.
Is La Gilbertona still alive?
No. She died on March 14, 2024, at age 88 in Culiacán, Sinaloa, from pneumonia complicated by pulmonary emphysema.
Where was La Gilbertona from?
She was born in Guamúchil, Sinaloa, and moved to Culiacán, Sinaloa, at age twelve, where she lived most of her life.
What songs were made about La Gilbertona?
Two notable tracks exist: “La Cumbia de Gilbertón” by Los Alegres del Barranco (2016) and “El Corrido de la Gilbertona” by Pedro Rivera featuring El Prisionero de Sinaloa.
Why did La Gilbertona become famous?
She built a large following through candid, humorous social media videos, and her visibility as an openly gay elderly man made her an important figure within Mexico’s LGBT+ community.
What are La Gilbertona’s most famous quotes?
Recurring catchphrases include “cuando no te gustó el intercambio,” “los del corazón son cardiólogos,” and “no eres del guisado,” all pulled from her unscripted reaction videos.
Did any famous musicians perform for La Gilbertona?
Yes. Regional artist Natanael Cano visited her personally to perform corridos in her honor, a moment that circulated widely online.
What was La Gilbertona’s real name?
Her legal name was Gilberto Salomón Vázquez, though she was almost universally known by her public persona name.
How did fans react to La Gilbertona’s death?
Fans, fellow creators, and musicians shared memorial videos and tributes across social media, and national news outlets covered her death as a significant cultural loss.
Was La Gilbertona involved in LGBT+ activism?
She wasn’t a formal activist, but her open, unapologetic visibility as an elderly gay man was widely credited with advancing representation for older LGBT+ individuals in Mexico.