You knew it was coming. Brokeback Mountain has spurned an interest in more than just Jake Gyllenhaal. Gay rodeos have been steadily growing in popularity but the film also has folks talking about the many rodeos that plant their pink spurs and hoist their rainbow tents all over the country each spring and summer. And what better way to increase interest in the man ropin’ events than through a puff piece in the New York Times.
Just as traditional rodeos have their own brand of entertainment events, so do gay rodeos. But in this case they’re called camp events and include Goat Dressing (a team trying to get a pair of panties onto a goat) and the Wild Drag Race (involving a man, a woman, a drag queen and a wild steer).
“Gay rodeo is a big, wonderful family of people,” said Brian Helander, 51, president of the International Gay Rodeo Association and an Arizona-based registered nurse who has been involved with the gay rodeo for more than a decade. “For participants, it’s about being outdoors and around animals. It takes a lot of persistence to perfect your skill, and it’s a great lesson in not giving up.”
Panties on a goat? We’re so there. We do hope this year they have some Brokeback themed events. We suggest the ‘duck into the tent and fuck’ competition. We reckon we’d be right good at that.
Gay Rodeos: Tightly Knit and Western-Loving [NY Times]