UnFictional
The Liberace of Lucha Libre
Into the hyper-masculinized world of Mexican wrestling steps Cassandro, an unapologetically gay man whose 27-year-career exploded traditional ideas of what it means to be a lucha libre fighter.
By Bob Carlson • • 28m ListenInto the hyper-masculinized world of Mexican wrestling steps Cassandro, an unapologetically gay man whose 27-year-career exploded traditional ideas of what it means to be a lucha libre fighter.
In this episode
2 storiesBlue Demon, era yo
The Blue Demon is one of the most famous Mexican wrestlers ever, boasting a decades-long career in the ring. And throughout that career, he was plagued – or was it bolstered? – by his arch-nemesis and frenemy, El Santo. An introduction to the world of Mexican wrestling through a poem that explores their infamous bromance.
Read the story4 minThe Liberace of Lucha Libre
Cassandro is anything but a typical lucha libre fighter. He's a gender-bending gay man – a cross-dresser, or "exótico" – who stood proudly at the intersection between the hyper-masculinity of Mexican fighting and the world of drag and queer identity. He was the queen of lucha libre.
Read the story25 min