Spain's first openly LGBT matador believes more bullfighters will come out (March)
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcHqYxfJq1A
Spain's first openly LGBT matador believes more bullfighters will come out, after revealing he is pansexual.
"There have always been gay people in bullfighting, but they didn't say anything," says Mario Alcalde.
I meet the 31-year-old on a remote farm near the Portuguese border, where he is having a practice session for one of Spain's most notable, and notorious, traditions.
Dressed in a small black waistcoat and skin-tight grey trousers, he looks like a typical bullfighter.
But Mario Alcalde also works full-time as a baggage handler at Madrid-Barajas Airport and lives with his family. Bullfighting only pays big bucks for an elite few.
He's now experiencing a boost to his profile after telling Spanish newspaper El Mundo he is pansexual.
It was a spontaneous decision to come out, he says. Not even his family knew.
"The idea came to me… artists are very spontaneous. It came from my heart."
The matador as an artist is an established idea within the bullfighting community. Supporters see events as a noble contest where it is man versus beast.
It's a cultural segment of old Spain, where flamboyance meets machismo, and associated far more with Spanish conservatism than the contemporary gay scene.
But this is a blood sport, banned in most countries. It has even been outlawed in parts of Spain.
Its fierce critics, of which there are many, say it's a cruel, prolonged and sadistic spectacle in which a bull typically has no chance of survival.
"I thought there was going to be a feeling against it but people are accepting it and in the best way possible," says Mario.
He puts the fact that he's Spain's first out LGBT matador down to perceptions that bullfighters came "from the countryside" rather than "more globalised" cities.
Now he hopes to establish a "Peña", or meeting place, for supporters of bullfighting in the heart of Madrid's LGBT+ community of Chueca.
"Perfect!" says Antonio in the Chueca's main square, right by a metro sign decorated with the LGBT rainbow flag.
Married couple Juan and Juan are also pleased to hear that a matador has come out, but don't quite see eye to eye on the broader issue.
"I've been to the bulls as a kid and I like it and I know what the event means," says Juan.
His husband is less of a fan. "I'm not saying they can't set up a bullfighting gay place, I just don't think it fits the area. The whole bullfighting thing is very conservative."
His views are echoed by a table of younger LGBT+ people who are far less forgiving of a tradition that has dwindled in popularity.
"The issue with bullfighting is that we confuse an animal and lead it to death in a tragic way," says Maria. "Bullfighting continues because it's a tradition. If this idea were new, I doubt it would be approved."
Alongside her, Fran sees something of a contradiction in being a bullfighting supporter as well as being part of the LGBT community, although ultimately "everyone is free to have their own beliefs".
Bullfighting audience numbers have been plummeting for decades
Despite an uptick after the Covid pandemic, notably driven by younger people, Spanish culture ministry statistics show that just under 2% of the population went to a bullfight in the 2021-2022 season.
Mario Alcalde strongly resists the suggestion that his passion is increasingly irrelevant and out of step with modern sensibilities.
"There is no decline," he says, adding: "Society's sensibilities do not fit the reality of life."
"Wanting to cover up death is wanting to cover up everything. In order to truly live you have to know that you are going to die."
Despite repeated challenges about the inherent violence towards animals that bullfighting involves, he's defiant to the last.
"If I had to live another life, I wouldn't mind being a brave bull and dying like a brave bull."
It's a staunch, traditional defence of an activity that Mario Alcalde now aims to modernise and diversify, while opponents hope it is a fading shadow of Spain's past - regardless of a matador's sexuality.
(The Last Day of Bullfighting in Catalonia)
Bullfighting has come to an end in northeastern Spain. Fans in the region of Catalonia saw their last fights on September 25,2011. The actual ban comes into effect on the first of January, 2012 but Sunday’s fighting was the last of the season. Over 20,000 spectators packed Barcelona's Monumental arena to see this age-old spectacle performed in the city for the last time. Spain’s top matadors performed at the historic event, which sold out at record speed. One matador, Julian Lopez, told the AP news agency: “This is such a beautiful arena, with a lot of tradition both for bullfighters and this national celebration.” Despite this, bullfighting at the arena has been on the decline, with smaller and smaller crowds each year.
Catalonia decided to ban bullfighting last year after 180,000 people signed a petition against it. They argued the corrida* was barbaric. Opponents of the ban believe they have a chance of getting it overturned next year. Bull breeder, Moeses Fraele said: "I think the politicians will think twice about the ban and bullfighting will live on. And thank God because Catalonia has plenty of serious bullfighting fans.” He added that, “in a democratic country fans should be able to go to a bullfight." Catalonia is the first mainland region in Spain to ban bullfighting. The age-old sport has been part of Spanish life for centuries. It has been held at La Maestranza arena in Seville since 1765. There are dozens of bullrings across the country.
1. ANIMALS: Should we leave them alone? Complete this table.
Animals for… | Why yes | Why not |
bullfighting | | |
pets | | |
medical research | | |
the blind | | |
zoos and circuses | | |
eating | | |
2. BANNED: Students A strongly believe bullfighting should be banned around the world; Students B strongly believe otherwise. Explain
3. TRADITIONS: How many are there in your country, province, city, town and neighborhood? Complete the list below. Put the best at the top.
|
|
4. SYNONYM MATCH A: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. | come to an end | a. | a great deal of |
2 | actual | b. | leading |
3. | spectators | c. | finished |
4. | top | d. | invalidate |
5. | in decline | e. | enthusiasts |
6. | overturn | f. | onlookers |
7. | argued | g. | well-established |
8. | fans | h. | dying |
9. | plenty of | i. | real |
10. | age-old | j. | claimed |
5.SYNONYM MATCH B: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. | remote | a. | a large sum of money |
2 | big bucks | b. | prohibit |
3. | ban | c. | decrease |
4. | fierce critic | d. | agree |
5. | contemporary | e. | detractors |
6. | see eye to eye | f. | branch out |
7. | dwindle | g. | in any case |
8. | regardless | h. | infamous |
9. | notorious | i. | modern |
10. | diversify | j. | out of the way |
6.Vocabulary
1. | flamboyance | a. | The romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people regardless of their gender. |
2. | notable | b. | Try to hide the fact of something |
3. | cover up | c. | A source of help or encouragement leading to increase or improvement. |
4. | pansexual | d. | Continuing for a long time or longer than usual; lengthy. |
5. | boost | e. | Repeat someone's words or opinions, typically to express agreement. |
6. | echoed | f. | Important and well-recognized |
7. | prolonged | g. | A person or their behaviour tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness. |
Paragraph 2
8. | staunch | h. | Getting pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others. |
9. | sadistic | i. | A very loyal, committed and dedicated attitude |
10. | contradiction | j. | Not having the same ideas or beliefs as other people and not being aware of other people's beliefs. |
11. | uptick | k. | Fall or drop straight down at high speed. |
12. | plummet | l. | Officially agreed or accepted |
13. | approved | m. | A small increase or slight upward trend. |
14. | out of step | n. | A combination of statements, ideas, or features which are opposed to one another. |
7.The following is a list of old forms of entertainment that are either no longer in style, transformed into something else or has experienced a revival. Discuss what you know about them, what was it about them that people found entertaining and why they lost their appeal.
1.Gladiator Fights
2.Freak Shows
3.Minstrel Shows
4.Radio Dramas
5. Burlesque Shows
6. Public Bathhouses
7.Bear-baiting, cockfights, dogfights etc...
8.Troubardours and Bards
8.Fill in the blanks:
1.If the news about Spain's first LGBT matador has been getting a lot of attention by the media, then it is .
2. Over the past three centuries, 534 professional bullfighters have died or
.
3. Manolete is widely seen as the greatest bullfighter of all time. However, he died in 1947 after being killed in a bullfight. If you were a fan of his, then you would refer to him as the Manolete,
4. If you are an extremely enthusiastic fan of bullfighting, sports team, musician, tv series , or any other thing, then you are a - fan.
5. Approximately 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights every year.
How can you say every year or once a year with one word ?
What is another way to say 250,000?
6. To deal with a difficult situation in a very direct or confident way is to grab the bull by the .
7.To be certain to produce an angry or violent reaction is: it's like a to a bull
8. If someone is stubborn in a stupid way, then they are bull .
9. If someone is clumsy or destructive, especially in a delicate or sophisticated setting, then this person is like a bull in a shop.
10. This is a vulgar and slang word, so it is not to be used in a professional setting. BUT, if someone is exaggerating or lying, then you can say "That's "
The more polite way to use this word is to say
9.BULLFIGHTING DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS
a) | What did you think when you read the headline? |
b) | What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘bullfighting’? |
c) | Some say it’s a sport; others an art. What do you think? |
d) | Is bullfighting cruel? |
e) | Why do people fight bulls? What’s the purpose of the sport? |
f) | Should any animals be used in sport? |
g) | Do you agree with the ban in Catalonia? |
h) | Do you think illegal bullfighting will start up in Catalonia? |
i) | Why are matadors treated as heroes? |
j) | Do you think it’s sad that a national celebration is coming to an end? |
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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS
a) | Did you like reading this article? |
b) | Have you ever signed a petition? |
c) | Do you think the opponents of the ban will get it overturned? |
d) | If there are fans who want to see it, why ban bullfighting? |
e) | Do you think there’ll be no bullfighting in Spain one day? |
f) | Will countries lose their tradition if they keep abandoning traditions? |
g) | What would you think if you were in the ring with the red cape and an angry bull was staring at you? |
h) | [Have you ever seen / would you ever go to see] bullfighting? |
i) | Why do people become matadors? |
j) | What questions would you like to ask a top matador? |
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