The release of Cassandro, a film starring Gael García Bernal as one of the sport's trailblazing exóticos, has swung the spotlight onto this perhaps unexpected, but thriving, element of Mexico's cultural life.
Exóticos are a decades-old tradition in the sport. The first was Dizzy "Gardenia" Davis, who performed in Arena México - the cathedral of lucha libre - in 1941.
Exóticos were just as athletic as any other wrestler but wore extravagant outfits and makeup, too.
Back then, however, exóticos were just characters to be played in the ring - often for laughs, and often to be vanquished by a more straightforwardly macho character. Even if the wrestlers were gay, they were not open about it.
This began to change in the 80s. "Little by little their homosexuality became more open, and eventually we got wrestlers like Cassandro," said Apolo Valdés, a journalist who has followed the sport for 30 years.
"Cassandro really stood out," Valdés added. "Not least because he was a great wrestler. He earned people's respect and became hugely recognisable."
This story is from the September 29, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the September 29, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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