As the curtain rises, the actors sport erections, sustain them for hilarious lengths of time, and employ them for slapstick humor. Christiaan explains that viado is the most common insult in the country. It is an all-purpose invective, not exclusively cast at gay men. Your teacher gives you a bad grade, you call him viado. Someone cuts you off in traffic, you call him viado.
Men commonly say goodbye with a kiss or a hug.
They call each other viado, even as they grab each other by the crotch or the butt. To understand the complexities of gay culture in Brazil, you must understand the status of transvestites, says Christiaan, who drives now to their hangout. Rio's world-famous queens can be found where else but on Queen Elizabeth Street. He points to what appears to be a gorgeous woman sitting on a car fender resplendent in a tight gold party dress. He cites a recent newspaper article on how married men, who won't go to gay bars, seek out the transvestites.