Invertidos sexuales, tortilleras, and maricas machos: the construction of homosexuality in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1900-1950.

Abstract

The author discusses Argentinean construction of homosexuality from 1900 to 1950 in the context of the raging debate of the essentialists versus social constructionists. The history of sexual inverts is discussed with reference to early sexologists. After a broad exploration of sexual inversion, the author turns to the Argentinean doctors who distinguish between acquired and congenital inverts. There was much resistance to the medical and legal establishments as there were autobiographies written by inverts, who subverted the medical views of the day. Finally, Bao concludes that there was, indeed, an Argentine construction of homosexuality, and that there were similarities between Buenos Aires and other large European cities. It is also noted that at the beginning of the twentieth century, there was a developed Argentine subculture of inverts who had meeting places, fashion, sexual tastes, and customs.