Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency: Newsflash
This LGBT rugby player in the first Latin American sexually-inclusive rugby club has been found hanged in front of the family home.
Alan Calabrese, 22, was found dead by his father in front of the entrance to their home in the neighbourhood of Mataderos in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires on Saturday 6th February.
Calabrese played for the Ciervos Pampas Rugby Club which promotes equality for all races and sexual orientations, the first of its kind in Latin America.
The police were contacted by the rugby player’s father who discovered the body in a hallway leading up to the flat where they lived.
Local newspaper La Nacion said the father discovered his son hanged by a rope tied to a water pipe in the hallway of the entrance to their flat and took him down before calling them. (https://bit.ly/36ONUmr)
Calabrese had left a bizarre social media post the day before his body was discovered where he revealed he had been battling serious depression for months.
He said: “I tried to put on my best face and have the best attitude all the time because I did not want anything to turn me off, but unfortunately I cannot stand it anymore and I decided to turn myself off, close my eyes, and say goodbye.”
The 22-year-old man thanked people who remained by his side through good times and bad and ended his post by saying: “Sorry for doing it this way but my road finishes here, I wanted to continue but I could not. I will love you forever…”
Local media said the authorities are investigating the case as a suspected suicide.
There have been no reports on the circumstances leading up to Calabrese’s passing.
Local media said he was close to obtaining his high school diploma after he recently decided to retake his studies after he was forced to drop out of school as a kid when he was constantly bullied.
Infobae report Calabrese revealed he had been removed from his rugby club to his family days before his passing but no further details were given. (https://bit.ly/3juJGFH)
Ciervos Pampas is a member of the Rugby Union of Buenos Aires, the governing body in the province, but they have not played any official games since March last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
They were started in 2012 as a way to battle homophobia and transphobia in the sport but in 2017 went on to broaden their message to all of society and now consist of 56 staff including 38 players.
Club President Caio Varela said the club is now one with a perspective of “sexual diversity” and of rights with a political and ideological mission to fight for the freedom to play sports free of discrimination and violence.
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