“A ball is an arm of the revolution,” 24-year-old Villano Antillano told me, “It’s an event that comes from historically the most marginalized communities. The ball is a political art.” And last week, during a protest in Old San Juan that drew an estimated 500,000 people, a platform in a plaza about two blocks from the Governor’s Mansion—where demonstrators were densely packed at police barricades—became a makeshift stage for just such a display, the newly formed Haus of Resistance. In the ongoing movement to oust Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, the collective’s event, which included chants, dancing, and a ballroom segment, proudly declared queer community as a powerful mobilizing force.
told me, “It’s an event that comes from historically the most marginalized communities. The ball is a political art.” And last week, during a protest in Old San Juan that drew an estimated 500,000 people, a platform in a plaza about two blocks from the Governor’s Mansion—where demonstrators were densely packed at police barricades—became a makeshift stage for just such a display, the newly formed Haus of Resistance.
Between songs, they chanted: “No hay libertad politica sin libertad sexual,” or “There’s no political freedom without sexual freedom,” and “Soy pata, soy puta, pero nunca corrupta,” which translates roughly to “I’m a queer, I’m a slut, but never corrupt!”A crowd gathered as some of Puerto Rico’s most beautiful and proud queers sashayed down a makeshift runway. Some carried fire. Some gave you face and body. Others did somersaults. Oversized fans among onlookers were flapping—hard.
Protests in Puerto Rico started almost two weeks ago after a private chat between Governor Rosselló and his closest allies leaked, revealingfilled with misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and general indignation towards the people he purports to serve. To the dismay of millions, it wasn’t until almost midnight this Wednesday night that he finally announced his resignation, effective August 2, in a video posted to the Facebook page of the Governor’s Mansion.
From a single-digit group chat, the Haus rapidly grew to include more than 100. The call to participate in or attend the Resignation Ball, or La Renuncia Ball, was open to anyone belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community.
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