Thirty years ago, a Mexican novelist talked for the first time about gay life in Mexico City, setting his novel in the Zona Rosa, and the now hipster area, the Colonia Roma. His name is Luis Zapata, and reading his novel is mandatory if you want know about gay Mexican culture. Next Friday a series of lectures celebrating the Vampiro de la Colonia Roma and its influence will take place at the Palacio de Minería, in the Centro Histórico. What is most striking—and exciting—is that the event is organized by “the new readers” of Zapata’s piece, which is a clear invitation to think about the changes that have taken place in Mexico City regarding gay life and culture.
For instance, the Zona Rosa and the Colonia Roma are still gay spots, but the famous (maybe notorious) Vips cafe where all the gay men used to meet up with friends or potential lovers has disappeared. A newly-constructed, cold, glass building stands in it’s place. The Vips was located on the corner of Reforma and Florencia Street, right in front of the Angel de la Independencia, and the morning before the gay pride march it was always teeming with gays and lesbians having a coffee before the parade. In spite of this absence, nowadays younger gay people dare to kiss or hold hands on the streets, the possibility of gay marriage has made it to the Congress, and the local government has passed a bill that allows trasgender people to officially change their name—and yet, homophobic crimes, especially against trans women, are registered every year.
So, these changes are not black or white, but celebrating things like this always helps us think about our achievements, and the work that has to be done in the future. This series of lectures is a good opportunity for reflection, and also to learn about the underground gay culture of the seventies, one that was not that influenced by American GLBT life.
The lectures will continue in different spots until June.
30 años del Vampiro de la Colonia Roma, 1979-2009. February 27th, 2PM. Palacio de Minería, Salón Bernardo Quintana, Tacuba 5, Centro Histórico, Tacuba Metro Station.
wow que recuerdos…cuando leí los libros de Zapata…tenía como 17 años y devoraba cualquier cosa que hablara de gays o lesbianas..esas lecturas sabían a transgresión y te llevaban al inframundo de las relaciones homosexuales (de hombres,claro). Aún existe el vips de la zona rosa y seguramente mantendrá su función (creo) pero pienso que el Internet ha cambiado muchas cosas a las nuevas generaciones.
xoxox
Sorry to break this to you, but that VIPS on the intersection of Florencia and Reforma doesn’t exist anymore. Now it’s a big glass building hotel. So, I guess you are right: the internet has changed things a lot, mabe for better….