The title of the portfolio is surprising: RugbyQueen.
These images are by a young photographer: Blandine Vives.
They are accompanied by this text:
The first LGBTQA+ rugby club was founded in Sydney in 2004, marking a crucial milestone in the history of sport and inclusion. Since its inception, one of its distinctive features has been its funding through drag queen shows. During rugby training and matches, nothing differentiates players from a heteronormative club from an LGBTQIA+ club. Neither the outfits, nor the sports equipment, nor the often imposing builds of the rugby players. This uniformity transcends the boundaries of sexual orientation and highlights the unity and cohesion that drives each team, regardless of their identity. As part of my photographic work, I sought to capture this singular dimension. Despite the physical appearances of rugby players, despite the stereotypes of virility associated with this sport, it is impossible to distinguish, at first glance, the members of an LGBTQIA+ club from the others.
The particularity of these clubs comes from another side. It is in their relationship to the codes of virility outside the field that it is expressed.
All amateur clubs, whether gay or not, are always looking for ways to finance their activities. Most of the time, players organize raffles, refreshments, or publish calendars. The clubs I am interested in have chosen to finance themselves through drag queen shows.
They reflect a bold challenge to gender norms and an open celebration of diversity. These clubs transcend traditional frameworks of sport and open up a space where notions of manhood and gender identity can be explored and celebrated in a creative and inclusive way.
Some of the players I met have already played rugby in their lives, some are trying it for the first time. They sometimes went there for sporting interest, but most of the time because they are looking for a caring space within the community. The drag queen show reinforces this cohesion and this feeling of freedom.
When they are on stage, the contrast is stark: their broad shoulders and imposing build demonstrate their identity as rugby players, while wearing makeup, wearing a dress and moving awkwardly on heels. This duality between the traditional image of masculinity and unconventional expressions of gender identity demonstrates how gendered norms can be challenged and reinterpreted.
Blandine Vives
https://blandinevives.myportfolio.com/
