The gay world lives on stereotypes, ghettos and aesthetic and behavioral rules. Within the universe of taboos, one of them persists: gays in rock. After all, can you be queer, enjoy rock music and have a rustic, loose and sloppy look?
He can. The blog The Rock Fucking, on air since 2001, has been fighting bravely on the internet to prove that gay and rock have everything in common. And more: worshiping the “roots” look of Brazilian rockers, complete with sensual rehearsals carried out by the musicians themselves – some even taking off all their clothes.
To unravel this underground trench, we interviewed the creator of the blog, Fábio Justino, 28 years old, graduated in literature, proofreader and text editor, cultural educator and eternally passionate about rock. And by rockers, of course.
How and when did O Caralho do Rock start?
It emerged about ten years ago, for creative leisure. Out of stupidity I started gathering material about rock, because I liked rock, I liked the guys too, and I started putting it on a page on the internet.
Why O Fucking Rock?
Because it was just about men. The rock guys. So this pun is in order. The Rock Cocks.
Even if a rocker was homophobic, would you put it on the blog?
I would post it and inform them that they had had this rumor and such. For example, when I talked about Phil Anselmo, from Pantera. The band has several rumors about homophobia, so much so that I reported it.
When did this thing of doing sensual rehearsals with Brazilian rockers start?
That was more recent. In the first phase of the blog, it was deleted from the server, I believe due to some censorship, because it had pornographic content. He had essays by musicians like Peter Steele (1962-2010, lead singer of the metal band Type O Negative, posed nude for “Playgirl” magazine in 1995). I believe it was deleted for that reason. After a long time, I decided to come back with a simpler format. I started to have contact with guys in bands and wanted to do interviews with them first. Then I got the courage to invite the guys to take photos.
How do you approach guys?
First I invite you to the interview, then after you accept, I invite you to take photos, because it's not mandatory. If the guy just wants to give an interview, without photos, that's fine, as has already happened.
The aesthetics of the rehearsals are very different. How do you plan this look?
Because it's a rock site, I wanted it to be a little different from a gay site. I wish it would reach more people. Since most guys aren't into the gay thing, they are a little uncomfortable with being treated like sex symbols, or male objects. They don't want, as they say, to 'pay as a kitten', they don't like that.
Do you think about being more daring, adding frontal nudity?
Maybe this scares the blog a little or 'ghettoizes' it a little. And I want to open up more. The fact that the blog is gay already scares the bands a little. And being gay and pornographic is perhaps even more frightening. So I've been thinking about it, but I don't know if I'm going to maintain this self-censorship. There are guys who don't even want to take off their shirt. It's a lot of work, but the sky is the limit and they are the ones who set that limit. They take photos the way they want. I think sensuality doesn't necessarily come from nudity.
Do you think there is still prejudice against gays in rock?
I think there is. Not because it's specifically rock. I think people are prejudiced, and rock is very masculine.
Even in the face of seminal rock bands, with gay vocalists, like Queen?
Then they enjoy the bands, but these guys weren't activists, they didn't raise any flags. In order to be respected in rock, gay people cannot raise a flag. Like the guy from Judas Priest, who's an icon, and people will like him even though he's gay. And they usually get respect before coming out as gay.
Has the blog ever suffered homophobia?
I have some negative repercussions depending on the band and the band's fan. I've had a lot of problems with Pantera fans, who told me that the blog was one of the few references in Portuguese about the band. And they thought I was doing them a disservice by writing certain things, even though I said what was hearsay and what wasn't. Sometimes people come in and insult me and I ignore them. Nowadays I manage the comments. I really filter, without mercy, if I start swearing gratuitously…
What is your goal with the blog?
The blog wants to bring information to people, in addition to encouraging a plurality of profiles, so that they realize that gay things are not limited, that there are more people. There are not many initiatives of this type. Grind (Sunday party at the São Paulo nightclub A Lôca) really lost its way, because it grew a lot and had to open up. When you focus on gays it's already a filter, if you focus on gays who like rock it's an even bigger filter. Now, talking about the guy is just a hook to discuss some topic. For example, there was a time when some emos were beaten in Mexico for homophobia. The people who beat up thought emos were gay. And I made a post about it.
You posted a photo on the blog where you are naked, with a sign saying “The Rock of Rock” covering your sex. Do you think about posing nude for your own blog?
I need to have a band (laughs), that's the criteria. Otherwise it doesn't make sense.
So can we conclude that if you have a band, will you pose?
O! (laughter). For sure…
Fábio Justino, the creator of the blog
Photo 1: Noel Rouco, from Rock Rocket
Photo 2: Rodrigo Lima, from Dead Fish
*Article originally published in issue nº45 of A Capa magazine – May 2011
