The TANGO is such a sensuous dance its hardly surprising that it is something that has been adopted by teh queer community. It all began on the streets of Buenos Aires after the immigration boom of the mid-to-late 18th century. Specifically, it began in the city’s lower-class neighborhoods newly populated by European immigrants, former slaves and those on the fringes of society—read: ‘Friends of Dorothy.’  Argentina’s aristocratic class originally snubbed their nose at tango dancers, viewing it as ‘the immigrant’s dance.’ This did little to dissuade gay and lesbian dancers from partnering, however—with no social status anyway, and they were free to dance with whomever they wanted. 

During tango’s early days, Argentina was largely populated by male, working-class immigrants. In fact, one rough statistic claims there were seven men to every woman in the country, making marriage and companionship both competitive and a prize awarded only to a few. 

Due to Argentina’s draught of X chromosomes, even our heterosexual brothers danced with one another. Same-sex dancing was simply a fun pastime, a chance to brush up on moves before a potential female suitor came along, and *fingers crossed* a chance to put a burly chest to a burly chest, moving strong hips to the alluring beat while fighting for dominance on the floor… Or again, just good fun. In fact, the very first photograph of the tango is of two men dancing together 

Despite Argentina’s elitist view of tango, it still managed to stow away to New York and Paris in the early 19th century, where Tangomania instantly caught fire. Persuaded by its international fanfare, the early 20th-century Argentine elites saw tango in a new light and were gleefully throwing shapes on the dance floor. 

In 2001, the world’s first official queer milonga opened in Hamburg, Germany. Not to be outshone, Argentina’s inaugural International Queer Tango Festival sashayed onto the scene that same year. 

These two simultaneous events marked the beginning of the Queer Tango movement—a distinct style deliberately tossing gendered movements aside in favour of giving and receiving ‘impulses.’ And let’s be clear, we gays have always been excellent at giving and receiving impulses!

For the past 11 years, there has been the annual La Vie en Rose Queer Tango Festival in Paris, but this is not just an elitist event, as throughout the year they hold classes for beginners  (such as the one held earlier today). However, when it is danced by experts, the Tango is mesmerizing and totally stunning. Like ‘The Sunday Dance” Demo of the Masters that we found online. It stars Augusto Freeman & Octavio Rojass  on Sunday, October 12, 2025 in Paris at the  Ezequiel Castaño Cevilán hosted by Miguel Gabis Art Director at Fuego de Tango.  And back in Argentina? . There is a nation-wide 24-hour radio station that plays only tango and a Tango University in Buenos Aires where students attend classes in tango history, dance, and poetry!