SANTIAGO, Chile: The transformation begins as night falls on this semi-desert esplanade on the outskirts of Chile's capital, with Arturo, Alejandro and René applying makeup and donning wigs, feathers and sequins to become "Verónica Power," "Alexandra" and "The Crazy Purse Woman." The characters are classics of the Timoteo Circus, a show that has fought prejudice and discrimination against Chile's LGBTQ community for more than a half century, even through a military dictatorship, in a country known for its devout Catholicism.
"Alexandra" – played by 65-year-old Alejandro Pavés – recalled life for the performers under the regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, which governed the South American country from 1973 to 1990. "It was terrible to work under the dictatorship … there was a lot of hatred for gays in Chile at that time," Pavés told The Associated Press, recalling the number of times he had been arrested, insulted and mistreated.
"The police would arrive and take us prisoner and if they found you dressed as a woman they would give you a sodomy" charge, which would mark you for the rest of your life, Pavés said. "The owners had to hide us." Although it is called a circus, it is more of a sexual diversity show with humor, song and dance under a big top, and has 30 employees. At its peaks it had up to 70. The Timoteo Circus is one of the best known of Chile's 120 circuses.