((TITLE)) HOME OF THE BRAVE
((TRT: 14:20))
((Producer: Nathaly Salas Guaithero))
((Camera/Editor: Nelson Vignolles))
((Map: El Rino, Oklahoma))
((Main characters: 0 female; 1 male))
((Sub characters: 6 female; 6 male))

((NATS))
((Brian Helander
President, International Gay Rodeo Association))
The cowboy and cowgirl culture is fundamental to America.
((Chris Tobin
Director, Rodeo))
Gay Rodeo first started as kind of a fight for our rights because we weren't accepted at the regular rodeos.
((NATS: “The star-spangled banner”))
((Title: Home of the Brave))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((NATS: Brian Helander))
Say hello. Can you say hello? Oh! Yes. Oh, yes. Yes.
((Brian Helander
President, International Gay Rodeo Association))
The organization started in 1976. It originally started as a fundraiser for a nursing home in Nevada. A group got together to raise money to do a Thanksgiving dinner for a local nursing home. And they thought, well, we'll just do a little rodeo. But the rodeo charities have evolved over the years. The Muscular Dystrophy Association became one of the recipients of the rodeo. With the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, the rodeo, you know, really helped out raising money for people who are affected by HIV.
((Announcer))
We, the men and women of the International Gay Rodeo Association, by way of this ceremony honoring the memory of those members, friends, partners, spouses, brothers and sisters of all our communities, who have been taken from us.
((NATS))
((David Hartwell
Great Plains Rodeo Association))
There are people competing here today who have been part of I.G.R.A. [International Gay Rodeo Association] since the 1970s and who tried to compete in traditional rodeo and were physically assaulted, verbally assaulted more than once.
((Charly Collela
Cowboy))
There's a lot of people out there that are closeted or are different, and mainstream…they are not comfortable. So, we are all inclusive here. You can be straight and come and compete. Trans [Transgender], whatever you are or feel or want to be, it's…you're welcome here. And we don't discriminate against anybody.
((Nicholas Villanueva
Professor, University of Colorado Boulder))
Growing up with a military father, Mexican American, and rural Indiana. So, it was…there wasn't, you know, I did not have role models that looked like me that also said they were gay and wanted to participate in sports. So, it's about identity and acceptance of identity and no judgment.
((NATS))
((Brian Helander
President, International Gay Rodeo Association))
I think that before people judge us as less than because we're LGBTQ+ [abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer] cowboys and cowgirls, they really need to come and see one of our rodeos and then tell us that we're not, you know, fully capable, courageous cowboys and cowgirls with incredible skills.
((NATS))
((David Hartwell
Great Plains Rodeo Association))
I.G.R.A. is a little unique because it permits both men and women to compete in every event.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Stephanie Malone
Cowgirl))
I've been rodeoing my entire life, and I've been doing the gay rodeo for about since 2011. I just went to it. I'm actually one of the straight people in the rodeo. And I went to it to just train, and I met amazing people and amazing friends, and we just became like family, and I just never stopped going.
((NATS: Announcer))
Next rider.
((NATS))
((Charly Collela
Cowboy))
To be on the back of that horse, doing 30 miles an hour or more, is so much fun. The thrill of competition, win or lose, it's awesome. And being around these people, this is a family, and it's…you just feel very…this is where I belong.
((NATS))
((Brian Helander
President, International Gay Rodeo Association))
Come as you are. We will accept you. If you want to be a cowboy or cowgirl, will help you be that, because oftentimes people think they can't. Come as you are is kind of thing, and we’ll be here to welcome you, and we’ll be here to help you achieve your dream of becoming a cowboy and cowgirl. That's what happened to me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Wes Givens
Cowboy))
I answered the phone lines for suicidal youth, that are…don't realize that people…they're young,13, 14 years old, and they're scared and they're afraid their family is so anti…and go online, you can find them online, where to go, rodeo, start meeting with people and get with the youth. And don't…I mean, yes, it's a rough two or three years for you to get out of. I had a rough time growing up. I mean, the kids in my class, most of them were good, but I had a few that would pick on me and bully me. Today, you know, reach out with places, go tell a teacher, you know, and help.
((Brian Helander
President, International Gay Rodeo Association))
Some people said, maybe, we don't need to have a gay rodeo place. Maybe we need to be more integrated or something along those lines. But, as you know, over the last several years, that's sort of taken a 180-degree turn. And we're sort of, we're back to where it's not safe out there for LGBTQ youth in ultraconservative areas of the country.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Announcer))
How is everybody doing tonight? There we go. That's our rodeo family.
((MUSIC))
((Ryan Knop
Mr. I.G.R.A. 2022))
Most people do compete at the rodeo, which, basic events on top, a couple of fun ones that just kind of make it more fun for us. Those skills like singing and dancing, we have a lot of those. So, they have a lot more talent than I do and their skills are amazing.
((MUSIC))
((Ryan Knop
Mr. I.G.R.A. 2022))
Depending on your title, you have to raise a certain amount of money to help the community or I.G.R.A. in general, to give money back and also help support what we love to do, which is rodeo.
((MUSIC))
((Roel Florez a.k.a. Selena Whorez
Miss I.G.R.A. 2023))
You don't have to settle for what is expected of you. Follow your heart. You got to be who you are because you got one chance in this world that is being created by our savior, you know. Enjoy it. So, it might be hard at first. We don't know how to get through it, but as long as you got the people on the back of you that you can talk to, even people you don't know, find your passion, find your love, and you'll be happy the rest of your life.
((MUSIC))
((Roel Florez a.k.a. Selena Whorez
Miss I.G.R.A. 2023))
I'm a fanatic for Selena Quintanilla. Oh, so I love Selena Quintanilla. And growing in almost close area, she was so… everybody just started calling me Selena, Selena.
And then when I started this, okay, Selena was the name.
When I'm Roel…very shy, so reserved, I'm like, “Hi, how are you doing?” Kind of like, you know, like that’s word. But when I became Selena, I was like, “Oh my God. Hello, how are you doing?” It’s…I love it because it's another persona you get to be.
It's like...bitty, bitty, bom, bom.
I wish I had more bom, bom, but I don't.
I got a little bitty, bitty, but that’s it.
((David Hartwell
Great Plains Rodeo Association))
The misconception is that drag queens are out there to indoctrinate your children and convert them to your gay lifestyle. And of course, that is not even remotely true. The drag queens, who comprise contestants and royalty of I.G.R.A., their mission is to promote acceptance, promote openness, just the complete opposite of the stereotypical talk that's going on right now.
((Roel Florez a.k.a. Selena Whorez
Miss I.G.R.A. 2023))
Have a great time. Enjoy the show.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Tracy Riemer
“Free Mom Hugs” Oklahoma))
We were started by a mom here in Oklahoma who just put up a hand on that said, “Free Mom hugs”, and went around to pride events to support her gay son. And so, there was a need for parents to be involved, to support people, because a lot of people in this community are estranged from their families. And so, we've come into places like this where we can support people. We're trying to educate people, and we just want to let them know that we do really love them, and we cherish our community, and we want to help them, you know, have successful lives and be happy people.
((MUSIC))
((Tracy Riemer
“Free Mom Hugs” Oklahoma))
But there's just so much hate and anger, and people don't understand, and we need to come together and support each other. And that's the most important thing that we can do for “Mom Hugs” is just support each other.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charly Collela
Cowboy))
We want everybody to win. Although you know, I want to beat you, but I want you to do your best. And if you beat me, hey, I'm proud of you.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mary Abaco
Cowgirl))
That's what the rodeo's about. It's not about winning all the time. It's about the camaraderie, and the family, and the love. I would still be here even if I wasn't competing just because these people are so special to me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Tricia Dunking
Cowgirl))
Everybody's people. We all got the same heartbeat, blood flows. We all have same feelings and we're just all human. That's just really all you can hope for. You know, you can’t be anybody else.
((Luna Starr Black
Ms. I.G.R.A. 2024, 2nd Runner Up))
We all come from different walks of life. So, as long as we're all working together because we're all sharing a common goal, that's really what matters.
((Brian Helander
President, International Gay Rodeo Association))
Our mission and our purpose is still extremely important. It goes way beyond just the rodeo competition and the royalty competition and those other things. It's really about being that safe place.
((NATS/MUSIC))