The press that took me out of the closet, says comedian Rodrigo Sant’Anna

The expansive and caricatured characters of actor Rodrigo Sant’Anna, 44, are the opposite of the posture adopted by the comedian outside the spotlight. Discreet, he saw his private life become news in 2019 after rising to the altar with his fiancé in an intimate ceremony. “Some press sites have taken me from the closet,” he says.

Nevertheless, he says that after the video viralized came the desire to raise more flags and position himself as a gay man – a drastic change in his behavior, hitherto reserved for personal life. “At the time I started my acting career, I didn’t know how I would reverberate [o fato de ser homossexual]. There was a fear of being assaulted, found. At school I suffered a lot from the effeminate way. “

In the month of pride LGBTQIA+, the artist recalls the “conquest” for receiving the acceptance of the mother and talks about the advances and setbacks of society on the subject. “It is important that this issue be debated.”

What does the month of LGBTQIA+ pride for you?

Everything that brings visibility to a minority is relevant. We need to stop a month to talk about representativeness, have space in the stations, in the newspapers. Undoubtedly, it is important that this issue be debated, talked about.

Has society advanced or regressed in the fight against homophobia?

We have advanced, but at times there is a setback within this advance. It is difficult to objectify in words this movement that we live socially, but it seems that it is a loose and pulls, an elastic movement. And the public ends up suffering from this social consequence.

Are you a well -resolved guy with your sexual orientation?

Today, yes, but I was not always. Until my family I know of my orientation, I had difficulty dealing with. The first people to know were my mother and my godmother, they raised me. Then it was my father and from that moment it was a key turn. If a straight [fazer qualquer coisa] I can too.

Have you ever been afraid?

I often felt surrounded to hold my hands on my partner on the street or make some act of affection. Today I no longer have this fear, but we know that society is prejudiced.

Did you fear losing fans or jobs?

At the time I started my acting career, I didn’t know how I would reverberate, despite doing comedy and many female characters. This opens me precedent, but I was afraid. There was a fear of being assaulted, found. At school I suffered a lot from the effeminate way. They were trauma that came to mind. Us [público gay] Still hear a lot of joke.

What kind?

I don’t know why, but sometimes a straight comes to talk to a gay and it tends to reproduce the most effeminate way you say. This I find it very boring. Repeat a mannerism of yours because of the orientation, a tone of voice. It seems that it is nothing, but I consider it disrespect. Emphasizes a biased stereotype.

When did you take publicly gay?

I married without making it public and at some point, some press sites took me out of the closet. Friends of mine photographed the ceremony [em 2019]and the news went viral. Then I started giving interviews about it and became an agenda. I don’t like to let my private life become public, I don’t talk about relationships, regardless of sexuality. But after that, I started to find it relevant that I position myself, so I already made a point of saying that I am gay and that I want to have a child, normalize this issue. It’s good to be able to talk about it at a Sunday lunch.

Did your family accepted a good one?

My father was very quiet, because I have a more different relationship. He was farther than my mother, so he himself felt less comfortable charging any posture of mine. And my mother was with me on the side, raised me with my godmother. Of course for them it was an initial discomfort. My mother is Catholic of those who still go to Mass. Religiosity, at some point, came against it [a orientação sexual]. Over time, she understood that things go together and that I like men doesn’t make me less connected to God.

Did you have a serious and definitive chat with her?

I said, ‘I am not free to express my sexuality quietly on the streets.’ If I couldn’t do this at home, I would end up feeling away from her. Today she understands and was an achievement.

Many people ask for advice to you to take over?

I get more comments about ‘I’m free’ [programa de humor que retornou ao Multishow]by [personagem Maria da Graça] Being a mother who welcomes and has no prejudice. A woman who protects children regardless of anything.

Speaking of work, what are your future professional projects?

I’m hired by Globo, I have some things in progress in the house. I always think of something I communicate with the public. I had a large experience in community and it is always represented from the crime, from the perspective of the shot, the killing. And in the community there is a lot of funny things. I seek to cast a humorous look and give protagonism to the favela people. I dream of making a soap opera too.