Milton Cunha, a symbol of Rio’s Carnival, opened up about the prejudice against homosexuals in the 1980s. In an interview with Gogoia Sampaio and Fernando Torquatto on the podcast No Camarim, Pod, the commentator reflected on the homophobia used at that time to suppress and diminish the freedom of same-sex relationships. According to the carnival artist, it was difficult to understand what was happening during that period.
“The hardest part was understanding the changing world of the 80s. We had come from a wild, uninhibited time—saunas and all... it was madness! Then came the 'gay plague!' Conservatism uses that. It’s cruel! I was looking at all of that, very young, in my early twenties, and thinking, ‘Mercy, things are changing quickly,’” said Milton, who has been in a relationship with Edu Costa for 15 years.
During the interview, Milton also stated that Carnival has the power to turn pain into joy. He drew a parallel between two groups that have been socially discriminated against.
“I connect with the samba community through pain! When I see a people so pointed at, so discriminated against, so suffering, and yet they are fighters! Just like I see people pointing at gays: ‘Look at the f****t, look at the little queer, they’re useless.’ These are two groups that, even under discrimination, when they put on their costumes and step onto the avenue, it’s pure glory. And I resonate deeply with that,” he shared.
Credits: Extra.globo
https://extra.globo.com/entretenimento/noticia/2023/10/milton-cunha-relembra-homofobia-durante-juventude-cruel.ghtml