Flavio Benavidez Turns His Art into the Fuel for Equality
From Michelangelo to Andy Warhol, there have been many gay men throughout history who have had a talent for the arts. Here in San Antonio, we’re lucky enough to have at least one such talented gay artist. I’m talking about Flavio Benavidez, Jr. He’s been a working artist for 25 years, with a primary focus on precision paper cut outs. Not only is he great at his craft, but he may be one of the greatest assets of our community.
Flavio grew up near Amarillo in the town of Tulia. It was a stereotypical, rural Texas community: small, a bit humdrum, and massively conservative. As can be expected, people there weren’t exactly welcoming of gay persons, especially at the time he was growing up. Being the fabulous youngster he was, this made his life complicated.
In high school, he was tormented no end by the bullies in his school. During my interview with him, he chuckled as he told me how he shielded himself from their persecution. “My defense was to be so loud they’d be afraid to come around me. They didn’t mess with me because they knew I’d make a big scene about it.” He told me how he would try to be as crazy and flamboyant as possible to scare his tormenters. I thought it was an interesting strategy. Beyond the bullying, high school was a time when he began joining the various entertainment and art clubs around his school. He had an innate talent and decided to put it to use when he left home at 16 for the club life in Galveston. He spent a couple of years as a drag queen and entertainer before moving on to continue his education.
Flavio attended West Texas State University with the intention of getting a degree in computer programming. During this time, he lost himself to the night life. This was in the early 80’s, when it seemed that he and his friends could do anything without repercussions. They would party for entire weeks and be unable to remember them afterwards. This would all change when AIDS hit the scene.
The era of AIDS left a distinctive impression on Flavio. He and his friends had thought themselves invincible until then. As he lost many of his friends, he learned how fragile our community was. With the realization that we needed to help each other if we were to survive, came the drive to begin working as an artist. Although he had no formal training, he was quite good at what he did, and in his art he found a way to give back to the community.
Over the last 25 years, much of the artwork that Flavio has created has been offered for sale or auction to gay charities and benefits. Although he lacks the resources to help otherwise, he does have his talent and is proud to help however he can. He told me that he’s happy to get his name out there, but the ultimate purpose of his art is to help.
As we closed our time together, Flavio made a very pointed statement, one which stayed with me: “I don’t really consider what I do to be charity. I consider this an investment.” What a karmic way of looking at it - what you give to the world, the world will give back to you. That’s a spiritual truth held by many faiths and philosophies, It’s a truth I’ve heard before, but I’ve met very few who actually live their lives by it. That is, until I met Flavio Benavidez, Jr. - a truly Fabulous Fellow.
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