Thursday, November 22

Illegal in Tango!

Machista [macho-ist] values that influence legislations in Latin America can give some of us reasons for pondering why "Sexual Harassments" is seen as a NORMAL "Macho" act by a small but still significant minority in Tango community outside Latin America.

In 14 Latin American countries a man may legally rape his wife or fiancée, and in some of these countries including Argentina and Chile-a rapist need only propose marriage to escape prosecution.

It may be true that Tango has had some of its history hazed in a background where some of its popularity was tinged by its practice at the brothels of Buenos Aires but if we are to get some perspective on this we should say "That was over 100 years ago!"

If Tango has culturally moved away from that state of mind even in Bs As, why don't some of its practitioners here do the same 100 years later?

Perhaps while a rape is not punishable as a "criminal assault" on a person there then it is difficult to make some understand why "sexual harassment" is - for being an assault, and therefore illegal here.

MilongaCat.
The only cat who loves you back!


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can I ask what sparked this blog entry?

I am interested as I was talking about this very subject with friends on Monday night.

24tango said...

Mash,
What brought this entry about has been the long and frequent complaints that some women have persistently and often made about some Argentine Tango teachers who think that anything is allowed if and when someone says "Yes" to a dance, or a private lesson.

For instance: there is one teacher who is "famous" for telling women that the reason that he is physically aroused while dancing is that "She is special and he is appreciating it"!

This kind of language and behaviour is not in any way or form tolerated and allowed anywhere else in social and work environments, and doing so can and will have have severe legal and social consequences.

It is about time that these are brought into the open to be stopped in our communities, too.

MilongaCat