Can a facade of gay-friendliness help build a foundation?

The legislature of the state of Puebla voted this week to name May 17th “el Día Estatal Contra la Homofobia.” Though the measure appears to be purely symbolic, according to El Universal, supporters hope it will help lay the groundwork in the fight against homophobia in the notoriously conservative state of Puebla.

Brahim Zamora Salazar, president of the Democracy and Sexuality Network of Puebla (Red Democracia y Sexualidad), was quick to criticize the federal corollary of this day, vaguely named the Día de la Tolerancia y Respeto hacia las Preferencias (Day of Tolerance and Respect for Preferences):

“If the federal government–because of its homophobic and intolerant beliefs–insists on ignoring the problem by using a euphemism, then we in the states will push initiatives that do name the problem and spell it out in plain letters: homophobia is a problem in our society that needs to be named, condemned, and attacked.”

So, kudos to the 31 state legislators who voted for the measure, and let’s hope it’s the beginning of other, more meaningful legislation. If the comments on El Universal’s article are any indication, there is clearly still a lot of work to be done.

In case some Machas are enjoying Oaxaca City this summer, the second calenda is taking place this Saturday, July 10th. This year the motto is All people, all rights. Let’s celebrate being proud of who we are.

I think this will be an excellent opportunity to meet LGBT organizations based in that beautiful city.

The list of organizers is long: Red Oaxaqueña, Diáspora Feminista, Diversidades A.C., Colectivo Luzónica, Disidencia Queer, Colectivo Arcoíris, Red Nacional de Jóvenes Católicos por el Derecho a Decidir, CDD, Demysex Oaxaca, GLOBOCORPO, Sociedad Civil y Colectivo AAA.

Let us know how it was!

Segunda Marcha Calenda por la Diversidad Sexual, July 10th 2010, from Fuente de las 8 Regiones to the Zócalo, 12pm, Oaxaca City.

*Catron, thanks again for sharing information with us.

the author macheando at D'Planet in Guadalajara

If you are a queer woman, go to Guadalajara!!! And if you want to party it up at GDL’s only “macha” bar, go to D’Planet Bar! After being in 8 Mexican cities over a period of 4 months, I observed more queer women out and proud in GDL than anywhere else. D’Planet recently opened in early 2010 and everyone needs to support it to keep it around. The owner is named Marlou and she is friendly, accomodating and all around awesome! My girlfriend and I were staying in GDL for the month of February (10′) and we had some friends from Brooklyn, NY visit us. The four of us were so psyched to go to a dyke bar together in Mexico. We walked into D’Planet on a Thursday night and were immediately greeted and HUGGED by the bi-lingual owner, Marlou.

Now, that’s a warm welcome! We told her we were looking for food around the neighborhood but couldn’t find any and preferred to eat something before we started drinking. She told us not to worry and that she would find us food. She took our vegetarian orders and ran to the nearest restaurant and brought us all back dinner! We couldn’t believe the hospitality around here! We had a blast dancing, hanging out and playing pool.

Marlou said the most happening nights are usually Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Of course everyone is welcome here but the main clientele are queer women. And I am sure you have figured out what the bar is named after, so for an added bonus, you can take your picture in front of the huge L Word poster by the pool table!

Check out D’Planet online at www.gaygdl.com for more pics and events at the bar.

D’Planet;  Bélgica #643 on the corner of Niños Héroes in Colonia Americana, Guadalajara

It was an unmarked black door at 502 Díaz. That’s what they call it, Club 502 but there is no name outside (it’s right across from La Resistencia).

I celebrated my 31st birthday there and I had a blast (I was drunk and so happy to be around gay people that nothing else really mattered at the moment). The club is your standard gay dance club with 90′s decor, lights and smoke, cheesy dance music, lots of drunk dancing, sketchy bathrooms, and strong drinks. The cocktails are cheap and mojito’s are delicious.

The downsides to the club are two major ones….1.it’s about 90% men (we were really missing the machas!) and 2. apparently no “transvestism” is allowed (we saw this on a sign in the bar).

Note from Macha Mexico: Shame on club 502 for its apparently transphobic policy! We would love to hear from readers about other bars in the city of Oaxaca, especially those that are inclusive of all members of our community. Please email if you want to write reviews of other clubs!

preciosa sangre de cristo church in teotitlán del valle

Fundacion En Via is a non profit microfinance organization helping women in Teotitlán further their small business dreams.The money you pay for the tour (50USD) goes directly into an interest free loan for the women participating in Fundacion En Via.

The tour leaves Oaxaca at 1pm and returns around 7pm and lunch is included (delicious vegetarian tortas!). On the tour you visit six women that have chosen to apply for the interest free loan. It’s a great experience visiting them in their home or workplace and hearing all about what they do and what the loan money would be used for. We met some amazing women on my tour that were weavers, tortilla makers, organic product sellers and fruit/vegetable stand vendors.

I would highly recommend this eye opening tour!

For more details and contact information, check out their website.

You may think that Macha Mexico is obsessed with Xochimilco—but only until you are there you could understand why we go back again and again. Every time I have been there, I have enjoyed the company of great machas and savored great food made right in front of me by an expert woman who can prepare delicious quesadillas of flor de calabaza (squash blosson), delicious Oaxaca cheese, and my favorite, hutilacoche. Well, a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit Xochimilco again, but I have to say, this time was the best, and probably will stay in my memory as one of the best trips I’ve ever made.

The reasons: we decided to go to the famous Isla de las Muñecas, a legendary place where many years ago an old man–Julián Santana Barrera–was scared by the spirit of a drowned woman who used to visit his chinampa. In order to fight the spirit Julián started collecting dolls that he found sunk in the canals or in the garbage and hung them around his house. Over the years, the collection grew bigger in size and fame, up to a point that locals and visitors would bring dolls too, until long lines of dolls completely surrounded the whole land.

In order to get there, you have to cross the Reserva Ecológica, which compels you to sail far away from the touristy parts of Xochimilco usually full of families and groups of friends who are sometimes singing to the tune of a mariachi or a marimba. Once you leave behind that area, Xochimilco becomes water and sky, herons landing here and there, milpas, and some cows that stare at you as you pass by. As you drift on the water you can actually see everyday life in Xochimilco: a house guarded by a dog here, little shops there, a bridge used by locals, little kids waving with their hands, carps (yes, carps) jumping from the water…

When you arrive to the Isla de las Muñecas you pay 10 pesos and you get to visit a little “museum” which is a little room where you can see Agustinita, the favorite doll of the old man who collected the dolls, seating on her own shrine. Julián’s nephew will tell you the legend of the place while you probably take pictures and peruse the place until you find a fish tank with two ajolotes, the legendary aquatic salamander that undergoes metamorphosis remaining in the water and gilled. No doubt that the whole place has a weird vibe (as expected), but you can ask your guide to take you to see the rest of the land—and his garden. He grows chard, chamomile, and chilacayotes (a type of big squash)—everything organic.

This time we didn’t go early in the morning as many people recommend to “enjoy” the trip. In fact, we arrived to Xochimilco around five which turned out to be a great timing since going back to downtown Xochimilco from Isla de las Muñecas allowed us to see the sunset and enjoy the night during the last part of the trip.

The cost of the trip was 1200 pesos (around a hundred dollars) and believe me, it worth it (thank you Islandia!).

As we were on our way back to Distrito Federal I really missed the water surrounding us. Being in Xochimilco makes you think about an ancient Mexico City that used to have canals instead of streets and trajineras as its main way of transportation. What if we’d started all over again and bring water to this dry lake that makes Mexico City sink more and more every year? Below, a photo montage inspired on this idea.

Taken last Summer at the exhibition Citámbulos, at the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

*Pictures via Macha Mexico’s friends on Facebook

This Wednesday the VII National Conference on Sexual Education and Sexology will start in Oaxtepec, Morelos. The Conference is organized by the Mexican Federation of Sexual Education and Sexology, a group of activists, and sexologists that promote sexual and reproductive rights in Mexico.

One of the highlights of the Conference is the presence of Mariela Castro, Raúl Castros’s controversial daughter who has taken actions regarding sexual diversity in Cuba. Castro will talk about the integration of the trans population in social policies, which I’d love to listen to, since it’s well known how difficult is to be gay, lesbian or trans in that Caribbean island.

Sexual diversity, sex among elderly people, self-esteem and sexuality, and how to talk about sex with children are some of the other lectures. You can see the whole program here, and if you go, don’t hesitate to report some of your impressions to Macha Mexico!

VII Congreso nacional de Educación Sexual y Sexología, from September 23rd to September 27th; Unidad de Congresos, Oaxtepec, Morelos; you can call for information to phone numbers 5601 2892 and 5601 4177.

The other event is the IV Festival Cultural de Diversidad Sexual which will take place in different venues all over the city of Zacatecas. Literature, art, movies, and even a puppet show are included in the program. Most of the activities are in the evenings which is great if you are planning to walk around Zacatecas in the morning.

Macha Mexico will certainly be there, although we’re still a little bit conflicted about whether going to one or the other conference. We’ll probably split between the sexual diversity activism, and the desire of knowing more, and therefore, taking some action regarding the global food crisis. Whatever happens, Zacatecas is a great city and this is a great opportunity to enjoy it. We’ll keep you posted about our findings in this Mexican northern city where, as far as I can recall, the food is great and the streets are full of visual pleasures.

The Global Food Crsis Conference, 13-15 august 2009, Ave. Preparatoria s/n, Col. Hidraulica, Zacatecas,, phone (492) 899 6945. Free entrance.

IV Festival Cultural de la Diversidad Sexual Zacatecas 2009, 11-22 August 2009, various venues.

]]> http://www.machamexico.com/2009/08/11/two-conferences-at-zacatecas/feed/ 0 http://www.machamexico.com/2008/09/11/celebrate-mexico-now-in-new-york-city/ http://www.machamexico.com/2008/09/11/celebrate-mexico-now-in-new-york-city/#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:44:17 +0000 Anna http://machamexico.wordpress.com/?p=213 As someone who truly loves Mexico City, but is based (for the time being) in Brooklyn, NY, I was thrilled to realize that this week (Sept. 8-15) is the fifth annual Celebrate Mexico Now Festival here in New York City.

From their website:

Celebrate México Now, a groundbreaking citywide festival, offers an introduction to the vanguard of contemporary Mexican art and culture. In the 1980s and 1990s, Mexico experienced a cultural boom that generated new artists, ideas, and forms of expression. Cross-disciplinary collaborations and collectives, focused on reexamining and redefining Mexican identity within a global context, sprung up in the country?s major urban centers. Celebrate Mexico Now presents this thriving generation of artists in an annual festival that encompasses architecture, cuisine, dance, film, music, theatre, and visual art.

For those who live in New York and can’t make it to the D.F. this year, this festival offers a peek at the kinds of cultural happenings that are coming out of Mexico right now.

Highlights include a screening of new Mexican short films, a photography exhibition featuring images of Mexico City and New York’s respective subway systems, a dance party at The Delancey on Saturday, September 13th, produced by Fresa Salvaje, who routinely bring hot (and often queer) latin american DJ’s and performers to the big apple.

Blending influences from Bariloche (Argentina) and Tijuana (México), FACA’s “Bari-juana” sound mixes surf, garage and techno, with kitsch and retro iconography invading the duo’s live shows. Sonido Discoyoácan spins eclectic mixes that include vintage barrio beauties like mambo, cha cha cha, Mexican soap opera classics and wedding anthems, all seamlessly intertwined with psychedelic, early punk, indie rock, and electronica; DJ Papichulo (Fresa Salvaje’s DJ de la casa) is inspired by the music he grew up with in the 80´s in Mexico and the cumbia poblana he discovered later on.

There are also poetry, dance, and other events, as well as a guide to “authentic” Mexican Restaurants, which are having their own mini-restaurant week. All of which can be viewed on the main calendar.

Tepoztlán is a little town located 50 miles South of the Mexico City. It offers at least three things that machas love: delicious (vegetarian optional) food, spiritual insight in the shape of temazcales and massages, and a hill to climb in order to prove your resistance as a big macha.

I’ve been in Tepoztlán many times, fortunately with a group of friends or my girlfriend, which means that I’ve got there by car. It is also easily accessible by buses that leave from the Tasqueña Bus Station, making it a good day trip for those looking to get outside of Mexico City for an afternoon. The whole trip takes a couple of hours and the beautiful scenary along the highway are worth seeing: jagged cliffs and vast fields lay on both sides of the road, preparing your eyes for the upcoming sightseeing to enjoy.

There are many options to approach to Tepoztlán, (Place of Copper in náhuatl), a little town located in a valley surrounded by rough mountains, which you can see while walking on the picturesque-cobbled streets that go up and down. The first choice is to take the classic touristy tour, in case you’ve never been here before. This tour includes the Ex Convento Dominico de la Natividad (Ex Dominican Convent of Nativity) built in the sixteenth century. Its façade is an example of the plateresque style mixed with indigenous symbols, floral designs and the representation of Virgin Mary. The main attraction of this building is an arched entryway that shows an elaborate mural composed of sixty varieties of seeds—which is renovated every September by local artists.

The other sight to see is the Museo Arqueológico Carlos Pellicer, which holds a collection of pieces from around the country. An interesting piece is the symbol of Ometochtli—a pair of rabbits—one of the 400 pulque gods. After the museum swing by some of the many little shops around the zocalothat offer a wide array of products, from traditional handcrafts (sometimes overpriced, from my perspective) like pots, plates, clothes and decorated mirrors, to classic souvenirs like postcards, little hand-made wooden models of the town or key rings.

Some of these souvenirs picture UFOs in Tepoztlán’s sky, since this place has gained some fame for spaceships that have alledgely landed in the area. Keep an eye out for UFO chasers dressed in white, who visit the town looking for some of the same energy that brings aliens to Tepoztlán.

Foodies should head to the downtown market in which you can find great, cheap food made by excellent cooks. You can start with a fresh orange juice (8 pesos) and then sit at one of the stalls that appeals to you. There, I recommend to take a look at the guisados or fillings, that the business offer for quesadillas (12 pesos): flor de calabaza, huitlacoche, potatoes, mushrooms, queso Oaxaca or quesillo (a delicious cheese)—all for veggies. The meat-eaters can pick from chicharrón, tinga (chicken or meat in a spicy sauce and tomatoe), and chorizo.
I recommend itacates (meaning in nahuatl “a little pack of something”, usually of food), a triangle-shape kind of tlacoyo filled with corn that can be dressed with red or green sauce. Dessert is not a problem here: fruit from the market itself is a great option, but my suggestion is to try a nieve or ice-cream from “Tepoznieves”, the traditional ice-cream shop that has four of five branches all over the town.

If you are not very fond of convents, I recommend hiking up to the tepozteco pyramid that sits on a cliff overlooking the tepozlan valley. From below, it looks like an inaccessible hill, but in fact, there is a walkable, sinuous road that takes you up, in the middle of a beautiful forest. Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water are mandatory, if you don’t want to die before reaching the top.

It takes a approximately half an hour and an hour to reach the top of the hill, depending on your climbing skills. What can be found here is an amazing pyramid built in honor of Tepoztécatl, the Aztec god of harvest, fertility and pulque. Even though there is a sort of plague of racoons hanging out and begging for food, the view is great and romantic—at least in my experience. It is possible see the whole town of Tepoztlán from a privileged 1320 ft. height, and 6600 ft. of altitude.

Two hours of going up and down deserve prize: if you are a flavour adventurer, and you’ve never tried pulque this is a great opportunity. At the skirst of the hill, there is a pulquería owned by a young guy who learned how to make pulque from his grandfather. Or maybe, you would like to try a half an hour massage session for 50 pesos at one of the many places that offer this service in town, and be ready to go back to Mexico City.