Ada Rico plays a starring role in La Casa del Encuentro’s street theater performances---a role that could be the story of her life. “I was married at 15. I already knew I liked women, but felt social pressure to marry and have children. One year was too much for me. I was divorced at 16.
“My favorite character in our drama, The Seven Patriarchal Commandments, is the bride. The dress I wear was actually worn by a woman who comes to La Casa. She donated everything, even her bouquet. On top of my veil, I wear a little couple like the ones on wedding cakes. I carry a poster with the commandment, “Thou shalt not desire a woman.” The most powerful part of the performance is when I take the bride and groom dolls off and fling them away. I hope lesbian women will feel strong enough to break that commandment.”
“We perform on every date that’s important for women. On March 8, International Women’s Day. On May 28, International Women’s Health Day. We performed in front of Congress to urge Argentina’s legislators to include gender and sexual orientation in the country’s anti-discrimination laws. In October 2005, one hundred women came with us to Mar del Plata for the National Women’s Conference. That day, women who had never participated politically performed with us in front of 30,000 delegates. The system oppresses us one by one. But one liberated woman can help other women free themselves.”