In Buenos Aires, Argentina, where tango and life are as inseparable as a dancer from their partner, Anahí Carballo has led a quiet revolution. Raised by dancers, she resisted from a young age the traditional gender roles of tango, and avoided the form entirely until she found a way to make it her own.
After founding Tango Entre Mujeres to create a safe space for women to partner up, she expanded her vision in 2023 to create Tango Cuir (pronounced “queer”), Buenos Aires’s only LGBTQ+ dance studio. That same year, she made it to the semi-final of the World Tango Championships, competing in the minority as one of the traditional event’s few same-sex couples. Even as Argentina’s President Javier Milei says homophobic things and works to roll back what were progressive trans rights, Carballo remains a key part of queer tango in Buenos Aires, where gender roles are fluid and inclusivity is a rule. Pink Ticket Travel had a chance to chat a bit with Carballo about her life and local recommendations.
What attracted you to tango and how did you carve a niche for yourself in such a traditionally heteronormative dance scene?
I am the daughter of a bailarín and a bailarina, so tango was part of my daily life. I had my conflicts with tango because I clearly didn’t want to be the tanguera woman, in a skirt, showing my legs, the tajo to the man who carries them, commands them, orders them, raises them, sits them, makes them fly through the air. I clearly did not want to reproduce that. [“Tajo” is an Argentine slang word that means “woman,” but with sometimes negative connotations.]
I am from the interior of Córdoba, and I came to Buenos Aires to study anything other than tango, because I didn’t feel represented there. That was until I found a space where they offered another view of tango, where women could dance together, where the concept was to play both roles because the only way to understand the other person is by putting yourself in their place. And there I was, building a different tango. With time I realized that in reality tango is not misogynist, it’s the people who build it who are. I realized I could build a different tango.
How does the queer tango community in Buenos Aires differ from traditional tango spaces?
Well, in traditional tango spaces there are established codes. People take each other out to dance, and in general it is the man who takes the woman out to dance.
It is taken for granted that the man, being a man, will be the leading role within the tango, and the woman, being a woman, will be the follower role within the tango. Naturally, the man stands in a dancing position and waits for the woman to face him.
In the “open” milonga [social tango event], this does not happen. Dialogue is enabled, you’re asked what role you want to play, and the roles can be changed in the middle of the dance. The possibility of dancing with two women is also enabled. In fact, it is more common to see two women or two men than to see a man and a woman changing roles.
In queer milongas, there is usually a lot of talk about generating a space of care. As people often come here not to dance tango but to have a space of reference, to inhabit a space of care. The protocols of the feminist tango movement are much more contemplated in queer milongas. There are certain speeches on the part of the organizer saying that no is no and that, if you feel uncomfortable, tell the organizer.
Where is the best place in Buenos Aires to see a tango show?
I usually go to see alternative shows. I don’t go to tango houses to see heteronormative tango shows, so I don’t recommend any of them. What I recommend is to go to a milonga, where tango shows are often performed. That’s an interesting experience for me, to go to a milonga where there’s both a dance show and a live orchestra as well. [Hoy Milonga is one way to find a daily milonga schedule.]
Besides attending a tango show or taking a tango class, what are some other cultural experiences you recommend in Buenos Aires?
It’s interesting to go to San Telmo on Sundays, when some murgas and batucadas [street festivals] are instantly put together and people dance. I like going there for more spontaneous events. There are even milongas that are organized outdoors, where people dance in the street with their sneakers and backpacks on.
I also like going to eat pizza porteña [a traditional thick crust Argentine pizza] and a cold beer. Also, going to a good old-fashioned bodegón [a family-style eatery] where you can eat well and enjoy a good evening. Pizzería Güerrín (Av. Corrientes 1368, Buenos Aires) is one recommendation for pizza, while Lo de Jesús (Gurruchaga 1406, Buenos Aires) is a nice dinner spot.
If someone wanted a perfect day in Buenos Aires, from morning to night, where should they go?
There are places that are touristy and very interesting that I still go to. La Boca neighbourhood has the open-air museum Caminito. There’s the historic El Cabildo building (Bolívar 65, Buenos Aires). Or Casa Rosada (Balcarce 78, Buenos Aires), El Congreso de la Nación (Av. Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires) and Recoleta Cemetery (Junín 1760, Buenos Aires), where you can see some old historic architecture.
There is a lot of nightlife here, and bars with spontaneous performances. For example, El Boliche de Roberto (Bulnes 331, Buenos Aires), or some places like that where you sit down, have a drink and suddenly a musician starts playing. Or the microphone is opened and a cultural and artistic event takes place.
Buenos Aires Pride next takes place October 27 to November 4, 2025. Are there any other queer festivals, events or places to check out during a visit?
There are different community houses that do a lot of cultural events. Casa Brandon (Luis María Drago 236, Buenos Aires), for example, almost always has queer cultural events. Feliza (Av. Córdoba 3271, Buenos Aires) is a queer cultural centre. And there’s the Maricafé bar (Honduras 4096, Buenos Aires), which can also be just for a drink, a tea, something in the afternoon, something sweet.
How is the queer community responding to President Milei’s anti-LGBTQ+ actions?
Well, the truth is that different collectives are joining in to attack Milei’s presidency. The last anti-fascist, anti-racist march about the hate speeches made by Milei was wonderful. We were a lot of people. We supported the struggle in any way we could.
What is the current economic situation in Argentina? What is your best advice for visitors when it comes to managing their money and budgeting for their trip?
From here you can’t project so much as a month from now, because if you project a month from now and that bar is closed down, or that party was not held due to lack of budget—that is quite complicated here in Argentina. For me, what I suggest is to carefully bring dollars in paper and change them here. That’s the best value. Get someone to make a change in some exchange house, or find someone here in Argentina who is offering to change money. And if you bring money in cash, it has to be in hundreds. Any bill smaller than that has less value. We don’t know why.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
