Although she among a younger generation of Mexican writers, Tellez has been quite active in the local feminist literary scene, leading lesbian writing workshops, and working to help organize the TTTrans Festival as well as the Festival of Rock, Film, and Sexual Diversity. For more information about Artemisa Tellez’s activism and the queer perspective she brings to her work, read our 2009 interview with her.

Monday’s reading will feature musical accompaniment by Tellez’s frequent performance partner, guitarist and singer Chichis Glam, as well as commentary from contemporary writers Reyna Barrera, Odette Alonso, and Marielena Olivera.

The event funs from 7 to 8 pm at the Casa del Poeta, Alvaro Obregon 73, Colonia Roma. No cover.

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.

It is in this spirit that I mention the Maison Française de Thé, a semi-subterranean tea-lounge located in the heart of the Colonia Roma. Although there is nothing explicitly lesbian about this establishment, to me, the decor, which features low settees and various exotic/”primative” accents, has a certain 1920′s Rive Gauche feel that allows you to pretend that you and your macha friends are having a Natalie Barney-inspired salon.

Tea snobs afficionados can buy fancy tea in bulk in the front of the store, or you can order a pot of one of the dozens of blends they have available. I swear that they used to offer a blend called the “Colette” (which I once unabashedled ordered by requesting a pot of “this lesbian tea” while pointing to my selection). It tasted exactly like the special tea from Paris that my grandmother serves to important guests. However, the last time I went I found no Colette on the menu. The closest semblance was a tea called “Paris Cheri,” and I recommend at least sniffing it if not ordering an entire pot to sip while you recline on a cushion and read some Djuna Barnes.

someone get this macha a cup of tea

Each pot contains about three generous tea-cups (and is priced accordingly) and is ideal for sharing between two people or enjoying slowly by yourself over the course of an hour. In addition to tea, they serve delicate finger foods and sweets.

If you enjoy looking at the shoes, calves, and fashionable skirts and pants of Colonia Roma hipsters, then the people-watching is ideal from the low windows of the Maison de Thé. Otherwise, I recommend this place for dedicated tea enthusiasts and anyone who wants to live their French lesbian salon fantasy while in Mexico City.

Maison Française de Thé: Caravanseraï; address: Orizaba 101-A, on the corner of Alvaro Obregon, Colonia Roma; phone: 5511-2877; e-mail: caravanseraimexico@yahoo.fr

Today is the opening night of the Second Annual Rock and Sexual Diversity Film Festival, which features film screenings, musical performances, a fashion show, and several dance parties.

According to co-organizer Artemisa Téllez, the festival aims to create a space that is welcoming for the GLBT punks, emos, darketos (goths), and others who may not feel at home in more mainstream gay venues. “There are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people who may mostly go to straight venues because they prefer the scene there to what they find in the Zona Rosa. This festival is an event for them, but one that is explicitly gay.”

a group of emos protest machismo, homophobia, and "emophobia" at the marcha del orgullo in june 2008

The festival begins tonight at 5:30 at Buzón de Arte in la Romita. Highlights for tonight included screenings of Todd Hayne’s cinematic tribute to glam rock Velvet Goldmine (at 6:00 pm), a screening of the black and white John Waters cult classic Mondo Trasho (at 9:15), as well as performances and art exhibitions in between.

There is no official website for the event, but the full schedule can be viewed here.

Buzón de Arte is located in the Romita, a small neighborhood in the northeast corner of Colonia Roma, a short walk from Metro Cuautémoc. Callejón de Romita, núm. 8, Col. Roma, between Puebla y Durango

When I arrived at this bar, the first impulse I had was to call the crowd to order and give a history lesson. This group of queer preppies, dressed in a way that I couldn’t understand, were giving me deja vu from the short period when I worked as a high school teacher.

But the night went on and suddenly I was listening to M.I.A, one of my favorites singers. And, making the scene even more attractive to my eyes, a bunch of teen fags were singing her lyrics and dancing as if they were her or, at least, as if they were in one of her videos. La Bomba, indeed, turned out to be a real explosion for my eyes, which I suppose were no longer used to seeing this array of color, youth and hormones, altogether in the same place.

In order to understand what the appeal of this place is, I have to mention Pepi, Lucy, Bom y las chicas del montón, Pedro Almodóvar‘s first movie, where Carmen Maura is unbelievably young and the Spanish now-famous-singer Alaska is fifteen years old. La Bomba is a place where anyone can appear, from fashionistas trying to find “alternative” new places to “emos” showing off their creative outfits. This small, kind of improvised bar, gives life to colorful characters–it’s as though their myspace layouts have come to life–who come to migle away from their homes and parents.

In my earlier posts, I’ve talked about how the victims of the gentrification of the Zona Rosa include the young queer teenagers who can barely afford a dinner and a couple of beers in the upscale new venues on Amberes street. Although one of the regulars mention that this place opened about five years ago, La Bomba seems to be filling this gap, since it is located near the gay area, and offers a wide variety of music; even hosting young dj’s that are beginning their careers.

Following the requirements of the new local policy, an ID has to be displayed at the entrance. A big, young machota will frisk you if you are a woman. So don’t bring any weapons….

La Bomba: Jalapa 13 Glorieta metro Insurgentes, Col. Roma; Caguama 30 pesos (US$3.00), tostadas and snacks are served.

The Under, Mexico City’s foremost darketo (goth) club, is a must for those seeking a different corner of chilango nightlife. Located in the colonia Roma, The Real Underground was opened a few years ago in order to create a space that was welcoming to members of this subculture. The proprietors of the club, darketos themselves, seek to provide non-mainstream musical groups a space where they can perform and their fans can hang out without being disturbed. What is interesting about this place and its economics (if I can say that) is that here, you definitely won’t find the typical guys trying to fight the system by avoiding any kind of marketing. Instead, the Under is run as a business that satisfies a very specific market.

Regulars at El Under (pronounced ünder) wear deep dark mascara, white make up, corseted waists, high heels and velvet coats. However, it is common to see punks, rockabillies and emo kids sharing this place that looks a little bit like the rec room at the Adams Family mansion. The club is, in fact, housed in an old, beautiful house built in the early 20th century, with wooden floors on both of its two stories. Two giant murals have been painted on the walls of the main rooms, one of a mysterious castle and the other, creepily, of the “Singing in the Rain” scene from A Clockwork Orange.

People who don’t dare to dress up to explore the night are still welcome at the Under. All you need here is the willingness to listen and dance to good music without a pretentious attitude. In my experience, my machas and gay friends have never been disturbed, even in PDA cases.

If you pick the right day, you might hear an interesting band or dance to DJs from all sectors of the chilango scene–and sometimes from abroad–spinning 80s and 90s music.

Beer is cheap and there is a little hot dog cart around the corner if you get hungry.

El Real Under;Address: Monterrey 80, Colonia Roma. A couple of blocks from Durango Metrobús station. Very close to Insurgentes subway station. Tel. 5511 5475. myspace.com/el_under

Move over, tequila. Mezcal is taking over as the dominant distilled spirit in chic Mexico City these days.

At least, that is what I’m starting to believe after learning that a third location of the adorable and chic mini-chain La Botica opened up this past March in the Zona Rosa, joining the two previous locations in the Roma and the Condesa.

Unlike tequila, which is made only from blue agave grown in the states of Jalisco or Guanajuato, mezcal is predominantly produced in Oaxaca. Like tequila, it can be classified as añejo (which has been aged for at least a year and has a dark caramel color), reposado (which has “rested” between two months and a year), and blanco (which has a clear color and has been aging for less than two months). Each style has its own flavor and finish.

La Botica, often referred to simply as “La Mezcaleria” could be considered a mezcal boutique, offering a nice variety of high quality mezcals made in Oaxaca. The maguey has a nice golden color and a rich, almost smokey flavor, the papolote is clear with a sharp, almost grassy finish, and there are over a dozen other selections to chose from. Additionally, they serve several different cremas, in flavors such as cafe, mango, or coco (my favorite), and sweet, flavored licores. (As a fan of marzipan, I recommend the almendra flavor.)

The decor at La Mezcaleria is a chic mix of modern and retro details: small cafe tables and chairs sit on a floor made of paving stones and all the signs and menus are written by hand. A glass display case filled with miniature toys doubles as the bar. The bottles of mezcales, cremas, and licores themselves add to the ambiance of the bar, displayed elegantly in small bottles on rows of shelves behind the bar. The lighting is warm enough to reveal the variations in color between the different bottles, but dim enough to give the place a romantic, almost speakeasy atmosphere.

The location in the Roma is very small, with only four or five tables inside and a few spilling out onto the sidewalk. There is little street traffic, especially as it gets closer to midnight, and several times I’ve had to walk a few blocks to catch a cab. (The original location is in the Condesa on a much more crowded strip. )

In March of this year a new location opened up in the Zona Rosa. This space is considerably larger, which, combined with the neighborhood, makes it a much nosier and livelier scene, especially on the weekends, when the mixed gay/straight patrons are starting to crowd in. As in the Roma, the crowd is mainly in their twenties and thirties, though I don’t think younger or older patrons would feel out of place.

The waiters at both the Roma and Zona Rosa locations have always been friendly and helpful and have never even batted an eye when faced with a loud group of tipsy machas.

Prices for a caballito (small, thin shot glass) run between 25 and 41 pesos. (Larger bottles are also available for purchase: they make smart gifts for the non-AA set.) My only warning for beginners is to not get carried away; the drinks are smooth buy very strong. Sip it, don’t shoot it, and if you go with a group, I suggest taking sips from each others’ glasses to appreciate the many delicious options available to you. Small bottles of Corona and Victoria for 15 pesos make good chasers between rounds, and there are large tin cups of habas con chile for those in need of something solid in their stomach.