FASHION / Rugger

Beltran Horisberger shot by Min Ko in Buenos Aires, Argentina

How was it for you growing up in Argentina?

I was born and raised in a small city, in the countryside called Paraná. Growing up there was not terrible. Although, I struggled during my childhood and teenage years. I was lucky to be part of a small working class family. My parents weren't conservative at all (they are a mix jewish-catholic couple actually) and they really made the effort to give me and my older brother Tomás a good education. Also, my father decided to pass down to our generation the heritage of rugby. I know for sure he was so confident that this sport, it's values and environment would give us amazing tools to grow up with.

However, the rugby universe, as well as many other universes in our society was not ready for a flamboyant chubby boy who had more interest in dancing to the rhythm of Shakira than to play a rough macho man kind of sport.

Were you always interested in sports?

My first years in rugby were more about following the bloodline than to practice the sport that I ended up loving. As I grew older I started to see so much potential in the companionship values. This sport was interested in accepting so many body types and cultivating people more than just players. I participated a few years in the local Buenos Aires gay rugby team and now I went back to a common rugby team to keep tackling homophobia from another place.

When did you first come out as gay?

I came to live in Buenos Aires when I was 20 years old. The hype of the city really made me feel very comfortable with my true sexuality. In a few years time I came out to myself, then my brother and friends, and finally to my parents. 

We think the dynamic of looking butch and acting femme is really sexy. Are you comfortable with this irony?

Yeah, I'm the most comfortable now than I've ever been actually. Expressing this gender identity and not being afraid of being campy, femme and flamboyant is what I always felt was right but I couldn't do before.

I receive a lot of enjoyment confronting people's expectations and standards. When they come across the irony of me going out on weekends covered in glitter and voguing, but also releasing my rough and more rugged self on the field.

Do you find it sexy? Perfect for me darling. Some of the most incredible moments of effeminaty vanquishing machoism and sexism were result of incredibly sexy people's work.

Is there a bear identified community where you live?

Yeah, there is. I try not to hold it against them because we are all a result of the same male-dominant society processes. However, I'm really looking forward to see more diversity, more acceptance of the "bears" that don't fall perfectly into the lumbersexual mould. I was taken by surprise many times finding toxic masculinity and even homophobia within the bear community. It pushed me away, but with time I'm learning to accept and not fight against "bears". Now, I'm having a more spill-the-polen-and-bees-will-come strategy. Then I plan to cover them all in pink feathers and teach them hot to vogue... hahahah LOL!

How is the drag scene there?

BURSTING... In very few years a lot of queens that led the underground "transformista" scene started taking over. Now we have more visible legendary queens and much more variety (bearded, fishy, comedian, singer/songwriters, makeup artists, queens serving body, dancing, etcetera). What I love the most from the local drag scene is that the majority of them are very vocal about human rights and the struggles that the LGBTIQ+ community are fighting here in Latin America for years. Especially the issues of the trans community. 

Would it mean anything to you to see a bearded queen on RuPaul's Drag Race?

For me specially it wouldn't. I don't feel like my beard is an important part of my identity. I mean, I know it suits my face, and I'm a very furry kind of guy. It would mean much more to see a variety of drag tv shows (I haven't grew fond of Dragula YET) because, if not, we as consumers of gay pop culture are given only one person (that even though being legendary is showing wrinkles of backward and retro way of thinking) the power to define in the mainstream what LGBTIQ+ community is trying to stand for.

 all t-shirts & shorts by Bagallo Ar / jockstraps by AY Jocks