Roberta Close’s trans niece, Gabrielle Gambine rocks in art and fashion with intelligence and activism

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Gabrielle Gambine’s beauty is worthy of fashion editorials Just like her aunt Roberta Close, Gabrielle turns herself in multiple feminine figures in her job, being able to be Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction (1987) to Chloe Sevigny in Kids (1995).

At the age of 22 years old, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Gambine is a multi-artist: besides fashion, she studies Visual Arts School of UFRJ, she is a learner in a tattoo studio and works with serigraphy in LGBTQPI+ collective (the letter P stands for pan-sexual), where she uses different to talk about the representativity world.

Articulated, Gambine talks about any subject with property and maturity. Young, she has already experienced different things that involve prejudice, mainly in school times. But she knows how to defend herself, with arguments or even physically, after all, when she was a child, she practiced jiu-jitsu, being Brazilian champion and vice-champion in Rio Yacht Club.

In exclusive interview for GAY BLOG BR, Gambine talks about transphobia, the recent cases involving violence against trans women and about famous aunt that was a sex symbol in the 80s, and many other topics.

When did you realize that you were a feminine soul stuck in a masculine body?

I’ve known forever. As I was building my identity, I saw myself as a woman and, at a very young age, I realized that I didn’t feel the standards or felt contemplated by the expectations that are created about the male standard. There was always a discomfort and denial about it that I was feeling and, as time passed, I started knowing myself until I started thinking about non-binarity, trying to understand myself, and guide my dreams, wishes and experience. As I was understanding and getting in touch with transsexuality and gender identity, things started to connect and I started to gain strength to face prejudice, ignorance and guide my way. The more I analyzed and investigated my heart, the simpler it was. I was very privileged and lucky to have Roberta, because she is so wonderful, like a reference among the women from my family. This made me familiarize in many ways and, consequently, see the transsexuality as a possibility in my identity building process to take on myself and start my gender transition.

And at the time did it create a lot of conflicts within yourself? How was it in school?

I wouldn’t conflict, it was a discovery, it happened naturally. In school it was always difficult, the psychologist used to call my parents to talk because of the way I behaved. I was always fascinated by the femininity universe, even before understanding what gender was. I changed groups and schools many times, I felt like I couldn’t fit in. My classmates were very mean because I was feminine and there was a lot of bullying going on. The P.E. classes and the restroom separated by gender always made me uncomfortable. Because of that, I started drawing because it was the only way for me to communicate. I felt welcome by the artistic and game communities and by LGBTQPI+ people. That made things easier for me and it was one of the reasons why I chose UFRJ Belas Artes School for my graduation and my projects improvements. And, because of that, I started to become interested in photography and fashion as well.

You are Roberta Close’s niece, the first nationality known transsexual, a beauty icon from the 80s and 90s. She is certainly an inspiration for you. How is your relationship with her?

Wow, Roberta is definitely an inspiration for me, not only as a fashion icon, but as a voice of many in the search for trans rights. It’s because of her battles and many others that I can finally be a citizen claiming my name; I am, therefore, guaranteed my right to be treated as I am. My aunt was a pioneer, she is a reference, essential and, without a doubt, I’m very proud of her. Our relationship is nice, even though she lives in Zürich, Switzerland. She eventually comes to Brazil and visits our family. Many times, media was invasive, trying to generate news without respecting our individuality and dignity. I think that made Roberta move away from this industry and the public in some way. I have come across with this discomfort in media myself sometimes.

You are a “passable” trans, which in most times is seen by society as cis, but this has not stopped you from suffering transphobia sometimes…

Yes, the passing came with the transition time, I conquered it, but it was not always like this. I am privileged to a certain extent, but this doesn’t stop me from suffering from prejudice. From the moment that they discover that I am trans, society tries to put myself test everyday. In some cases the transphobia is explicit, in others it’s veiled. In the beginning of my transition, I was laughed at, stared at, I’ve been yelled at in the street, discriminated in hair removal clinics, restrooms and even by doctors. Prejudice and humiliation that many of us face daily, but I prefer to be positive and ignore this energy and mean people. Today I know that I’ll always be judged, but I am much more mature to deal with it and face it. The world has changed, we are living a moment of TRANSformation, the cisgender norm needs to get informed and evolve to follow this new world. We have never talked about gender identity and sexuality as we do right now. We have specific demands and, now more than ever, our experiences are being considered, we are TRANSforming the world and creating more narratives about what is it to be a man, woman, trans, non-binary and getting to fill more spaces. Life goes own, I am stronger now, my head is up, let’s talk about good things, a lot of them are coming.

You are a model, the fashion world is more open for trans models when it comes to getting jobs, or is there still a long way to go for it to change/evolve? Your aunt has done lots of jobs in previous decades.

Yes, Roberta was one of the pioneers of very important jobs decades ago. I think that, in general, a change is happening, the fashion and beauty market is trying to update itself, end the pattern, considering and strengthening new narratives and visualities. It’s a long way I’d say, there are still many beauty and behavior standards, so there might take a while for Brazilian fashion to evolve and understand what diversity and plurality are, but we can see brands and the media giving space to minorities. I love seeing LGBT people taking different spaces in the job market, knowing that there is more representativity for the next generations. It’s stimulating, I hope that in the future even more trans people and transvestites take these places, it can’t be only one, there has to be a lot of them working in different spaces so there will be a bigger acceptance about the whole community. I fight so I can use my outreach to make the difference and open the doors for more trans people.

Recently, there was a shocking case of transphobia, when the trans woman Alice Felis was brutally beaten in her house by a man that she met in the street. Do you feel insecure/afraid being trans and living in Brazil, even if it’s in a big city like Rio?

Yes, I feel insecure and I am afraid. I followed Alice’s case and I was really bad, because I’ve suffered physical violence in the street and I was also stalked, not in this proportion, but it was traumatizing, Brazil is the country that kills most trans people in the world and it is indeed a concern for us to come and go. Only those who experience these situations know exactly how they work. I ask myself “for how long”? How many more people will have to be murdered or violated? For Alice Felis, I wish a lot of strength, all my affection and support. I want her to know that she’s not alone. The commotion that came from the internet was really important for her to feel supported and the correct actions to be taken. However, there is still very big neglect in police stations and report places even in a big city like Rio or São Paulo, considering that many of us are stigmatized, invisible, or even live in this position of marginalization, social, political, and economical vulnerability. It’s urgent, we need your help in our fight to report these crimes. I hope that the guilty person is punished.

Another case that caught media’s attention was Juju Oliveira‘s story. Her industrial silicone application changed her face drastically. Have you ever felt pressured by this search for vanity, for the aesthetic perfection?

To feel good with our image is a daily and personal process. I have felt pressured and this made me demand more from my appearance. We, transexual people, are constantly under attack because of what is considered masculine and feminine. This imposition of the aesthetic perfection can be toxic to the point to make us develop conflicts with our own image. Unfortunately, society tends to evaluate us by how we are in this cisgender parameters and this can be connected to the number of procedures that we do and how much we have access to that. But many of us aren’t treated with respect and dignity in this spaces. As amazing as it may seem, many professionals are not interested or willing to give their tools to help us and this impacts in our lives, making some trans people choosing cheaper methods, even with the risks, like industrial silicone. And this is cutout of privilege and possibility as well. It’s urgent that we have more debates about public health and our community necessities.

You have already changed your names in your documents, was it hard?

It wasn’t so hard, I started this process through the program“Itinerant justice”, that was created because of a partnership established between Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Justice Tribunal of Rio de Janeiro. I could change my name in my birth certificate, generate my ID new version, and change the other documents. This was a watershed for me to be treated as Gabreille full time. Oswaldo Cruz has trans people in their team, working there, projects and researches that include us and there is a whole system to welcome us. I’ve felt taken care of and respected in this process. A fun curiosity is that the decree that allows the usage of social name and the acknowledgement of gender identity was published on my birthday, April 28th.

In many of your pictures you remind the actress Glenn Close inFatal Attraction (because of the curly hair) and, in others, the actress Chloe Sevigny. Is this resemblance intentional or just a coincidence? Are you their fan?

I get a lot of messages from my followers that comment these semblances with me and send me pictures of actresses, models and fashion designers like Glenn, Monroe and even divas like Christina Aguilera, Chloe, Gaga, Lili Reinhart, Bella Haddid and others. And I can say that I am, indeed, a fan, all of them are talented and inspire me in some way.

You have a interracial relationship, he is a model as well. Have you ever been a prejudice target because of that?

Yes, we have already experienced prejudice and judgments on social network. He has lived transphobia and I have lived racism, but we can support one another and overcome these obstacles. Besides, the positive feedback that we get overlaps these negative messages. We read messages from other couples and my boyfriend gets messages from people that admire his courage and use this as an example for them to be brave and recognize the trans people that they love. Affection, for me, as a trans woman, was a great issue during sometimes, many objectify our bodies and my boyfriend has never made me feel like this. It’s really interesting to see that we can inspire other people and make them understand that beauty is diversity and love is about acceptance and care. When we build families or relationships in any way we are breaking the patriarchy and the “CIStem”.

Just like your aunt, do you plan to live abroad some day?

Yes, I do. I have been to New York and I’d live to live there for a while. Another place in which I have some friends and I dream to get to know is Paris. Maybe in the future I can build this bridge to continue my studies and jobs.

Do you think you will make your sexual re-designation surgery one day?

So, this question is really personal (laughs), people sometimes focus too much on the surgery and it gets uncomfortable. There are many possibilities, many ways to be a woman and I feel like a woman. In this moment I’m not thinking about it, but I think that no surgery will define or validate my identity. If I choose re-designation in the future, I want it to be my accomplishment with excellence and not something that I did to please the others, now I have other priorities.

To follow Gabrielle Gambine in her social networks:

@gabriellegambinee, @fudidasilk, @vicenta_perrotta, @_inserto, @estileras, @membranv

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