(Reuters Life!) – Two men locked in a tight embrace step in time to the mournful chords of a tango. Gustavo Aciar follows his partner’s lead, but halfway through the melancholy song, he takes charge.
The nostalgic music and passionate moves are the same as those found in most Buenos Aires tango clubs, called milongas, but a gay tango festival is giving a new twist to a dance that traditionally maintains strict gender roles.
“Tango has to adapt, just like a language,” Aciar, 45, an opera pianist from the Argentine capital, told Reuters. “And gay tango is enriching the language of tango.”
The event is an offshoot of the bigger International Queer Tango Festival, which was launched in 2007 to increase interest in the dance among the gay community in the country, which became the first nation in Latin America to allow gay marriage this month.
At a workshop held as part of the weekend festival, there were none of the women in high-heels and dapper, suited men normally associated with the quintessential Argentine dance.
“Gay tango takes tango to another level– the macho leader can become the sensual follower,” said Kalervo Barker, 47, a tourist from Wales, who danced a few songs with Aciar.
“Tango is so sensual and for me dancing with a man is more sensual when leading or following, there is a little flirting and I don’t want to flirt with a woman,” he said as the mainly male participants went through their steps.
They got a chance to put their classes in practice later that night at the Academia Bien Porteno milonga.
Laura, a 38-year old Argentine economics researcher said it was still difficult for gay couples to dance in mainstream milongas, despite generally liberal attitudes in the capital city.
“I would prefer for integration to be a reality,” she said as she took a breather on the dancefloor. “But it’s difficult for people from the community to enter more traditional milongas, so this festival is important.”
Buenos Aires is a popular destination among gay travelers and this weekend’s mini-festival also sought to take advantage of an influx of European tourists on summer vacations.
A boom in tourism during the last decade has rekindled interest in tango, which was born in Buenos Aires’ immigrant neighborhoods.
Traditionally the man leads the woman, but if no women could be found to accompany them, so-called tangueros would perfect their steps with each other.
“What the books don’t say is that while some men did it for the practice, others did it because they loved it,” said Augusto Balizano, 40, one of the festival’s organizers.
“And why shouldn’t I dance tango with the object of my desire?”
(Editing by Helen Popper)
US model Shanna Moakler stands up for gay marriage
Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): American model Shanna Moakler has decided to make it very clear that she was “hurt and upset” by first runner up in Miss USA 2009 pageant Carrie Prejean’s comment about gay and lesbian marriage.
Moakler, 34, was upset by Prejean saying that a “marriage should be between a man and a woman”, and she has decided to make a stand for what she believed in – the right for gay and lesbian couples to marry.
The model was in North Hollywood on April 28 with co-executive state pageant director Keith Lewis as they prepared Miss USA 2006 first runner-up Tamiko Nash and last year’s Miss California Raquel Beezley to shoot a NO H8 Campaign.
The campaign hopes to raise awareness and eventually have Proposition 8 over-turned in California.
“It’s important for us right now to participate in this, especially given the conversation surrounding Miss California. We’re here showing we’re a family, we agree to disagree and support our beliefs,” Fox News quoted Lewis as saying, as Moakler nodded in agreement.
“It’s been a difficult time but we want to show that there are a lot of different families, I was raised by a single mom, and I am dad to two children that are being raised by two moms. Can’t we all just love each other and get along and celebrate the fact that people are able to find true love?
“We are working through it; we’re a family in resolution. We really want to give Carrie an opportunity to express her beliefs, the Miss California system is about empowering women to be strong and independent and stand up for whatever they believe in.
“So as soon as Carrie is done explaining her beliefs we really look forward to her coming back to our platform. I’m proud that she was able to stand there and utter whatever it was that came out of her mouth. I’m a 45-year-old man and I don’t think I could explain myself to millions of people,” he added. (ANI)