The Queer Scene in Mexico City
It’s gotten better!
The queer scene in Mexico City is young and blooming. Compared to the rest of the country – more conservative and macho – the city is somewhat of a neoteric, accepting haven. There is still a long way to go, but equal marriage has been legal for over a decade, and the amount of emerging LGBTQ+ projects has been doubling every year for at least the past five years.
From my personal experience as a queer man, I could say homophobia is very subtle. It’s mostly hidden behind annoying jokes or ignorant remarks, but rarely turns violent. Nonetheless, hate crimes do exist. Some neighbourhoods are friendlier than others. Consider staying at more centric and progressive ones such as Juarez, Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Escandón, or Santa Maria la Ribera. There, queer PDA will go virtually unnoticed. At night, however, you may want to consider avoiding it in places with fewer witnesses. As a cis-gendered, and (arguably) white-and-straight-passing male, I can only report the queer experience to some extent. In fact, certain looks or crossdressing may draw attention.
My friend Paco, 27, non-binary drag queen who enjoys gender bending through fashion, agrees the city is more accepting compared to others, but still considers it transphobic. They mention cases of discrimination, specifically in taxi apps as drivers have canceled after realizing their gender identity. Their suggestion is for queer people to travel in groups, avoid certain neighborhoods at night, and above all, stay observant. Even if there are still not enough spaces for queer people to gather 100% safely, some notable mentions are daytime gatherings organized by collective Sungay Brunch, La Cañita, or nocturnal warehouse parties such as Pervert, Por Detroit, and Discofetish.
