Gloria Trevi- Todos Me Miran

Gloria Trevi, the Mexican Madonna for those who aren't familiar with her story, her music, and her image! Gloria Trevi has long been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights from the early days of her career in the late 80s and 90s. While she has often been in the spotlight for a wide range of controversies (look her up...she's been in jail in Brazil, accused of corrupting youth, etc.) she has always stood as an ally to queer individuals. Her support was solidified in the release of her song, "Todos Me Miran" or "Everyone Looks at Me" as part of her push to break back into the mainstream Latin pop genre. She would find tremendous success in this effort. 

In her music video for the song you find Trevi dancing with a man who ultimately hits her. Trevi begins singing her track while another man collapses in front of another man and begins to cry and his tears fall on the shoes of the man sitting. Shortly after he begins to dress up in drag. (I get it- at this point you're probably tired of how there's yet another mention of a man in drag...I would say this is going to be the last time I mention it but I'd be lying :)). I would argue this experience is different in that you have Trevi singing a dialogue speaking to what I would argue is society's patriarchal expectation and its narrow definition of masculinitiy. At :45 you have the man in drag walk out of the dark room from where he was previously crying. I see this as a departure and liberation from societal norms for men and masculinity. Later in the video you have Trevi also dress up and walk out of a dark room leaving a man behind...as a parallel of what I would understand how liberation of men from toxic masculinity is connected to the liberation of women from patriarchal and sexists limitations. You ultimately find both individuals- the man in drag and Trevi walking through town confidently and with charisma while everyone looks at them. 

The video is a fun one to watch as you witness both the man and Trevi's liberation. In addition, it's neat to see the song that cemented Trevi's support for LGBTQIA+ issues in the modern mainstream era. Nowadays you'll find lots of gay/queer Latinx spaces often playing her music. You'll also likely see some sort of drag queen performance of her music. One of my fondest memories is a time in Mexico City in the Zona Rosa (the queer district there) when a good friend of mine and I went to a karaoke bar and found it to be a hub for Trevi impersonations and it was the coolest thing in the world. Trevi has so much more music beyond this and continues to show her support for queer folks. You'll see her perform this song live mashed with Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" which is another major queer anthem. You can also check out and follow her fascinating story in the biopic, "Gloria" on Netflix! While her work is in Spanish, her impact can be felt beyond Latinx communities. Enjoy the video below!