The Feminist Movement Tango (MFT) will announce the Protocol to Milongas, what “far from a document rigid and punitive” It is proposed as a tool “recommendations to follow towards transformation”, on Sunday 23 to 17 in Tierra Violeta Cultural Center (Tacuarí 538).
The protocol points out that “all people can invite to dance and come to a tango where there is a dialogue between the two parties”, they expressed in dialogue with Télam, Ana Zeliz, Monica Ogando, Natalia Giacchino, Soraya Rizzardini González and Natalia Terán, project managers and members of the MFT.
In that sense, from the movement they stated that the idea arose from working a series of “discomforts experienced in tango spaces”, and whose recurring theme is related to “symbolic violence and physical violence”.
The protocol thought “as a guide to actions to follow in cases of violence while suggesting some ‘good practices’ to include in those spaces, especially the milongas, seeks to minimize the effects of this problem and contribute to transforming the field of tango into a more enjoyable place for everyone”, explained the promoters of the initiative who agreed on the responses.
Telam: What are the discomforts and violence experienced in the milonga for the movement?
MFT: Violence can range from having to pose for a long time to see if someone takes you dancing to ill-treatment and physical violence, there are people who got beaten. It is a very large range of violence. The milonguera tradition indicates that “you sit with a pretty face, you cross the paws and you pose for someone to take you dancing”.
T: Does this carry over to the dance itself?
MFT: Yes. When we talk about discomforts we talk about those that arise within the framework of the milonga, of the dance, that they squeeze you a lot, that they hug you in a certain way or that they touch a part of the body that they should not touch. The man marks what the woman does, where do you put the weight, whether or not he does a boleo, if you go back or forth.
T: Is there a difference with other genres like folklore and salsa?
MFT: Perhaps this problem is the one that is lived in other spaces, because nothing escapes the patriarchal system in which we live. We know that there are some groups working in the folklore environment too. We make our contribution in tango, which is configured within a value system called patriarchy. At once, what we find wonderful about tango is its ability to update itself over time, as a living and constantly changing cultural expression.
T:In what measures does this protocol transform the identity and culture of the milonga??
MFT: It would be very risky to say that it will transform a reality, but it arises within the framework of changes and transformations that are already taking place in society and also in tango. It is a tool that can serve to raise awareness about issues of violence that were naturalized as part of the milonguera tradition. Everything will depend on whether it will be applied by organizers and managers of those spaces.. We know that it will not be an easy task since there are many organizers of milongas that “in the name of tradition” they refuse to admit that these practices are patriarchal violence.
T:What new rules does the protocol propose?
MFT: It is conceived from a feminist perspective and far from being a rigid and punitive document, This protocol should be understood as a guide to actions to follow in pursuit of the transformation we long for., as a living testimony subject to constant review and self-criticism.
T: Is there a difference between how different generations accept it?
MFT: The field of tango is a true patriarchal stronghold from its beginnings, where all the age ranges currently converge. While it is touched by the feminist movement, the generational influences the acceptance of a need for transformation. Younger people are more permeable to a change in these violent practices, that appear even in small gestures; for example that a woman “take out” dancing to a man is seen as a violation of the codes and is a practice disapproved by the community in general and by the man in question. (Telam)
Source: https://www.grupolaprovincia.com/ – 20 June 2019
