 We used to have to have a vet on site or you had to have a shooter on site or whatever, and you'd say, this is for a gay rodeo. Oh, no, I'm not coming. But they pulled together by raising money to address the AIDS crisis. Many found lifelong friends and belonging. Villanueva, the professor who competes himself, says it's helped him feel in touch with his small-town upbringing while challenging the aspects of hypermasculinity.