Coyoacán is one of the most visited spots by postmodern hippies and artsy youngsters in Mexico City. Maybe that’s why you can find graffiti and stencils invading the facades belonged to the well-off. I found this one particularly great….

Jesusa Rodríguez and Liliana Felipe after formalizing their union through the Ley de Convivencia in 2007, via La Jornada

Jesusa Rodríguez and Liliana Felipe are a legendary couple in the history of Mexican culture and Mexican lesbianism. Rodríguez, a Mexican actress, playwright and social activist has a long career as an artist who experimented with opera, theater, cabaret, as well as other forms of popular theater such as a style of Mexican vaudeville called carpa. Felipe is an Argentinian singer and performer who has lived in Mexico as an exile after the dictatorship in Argentina began in 1976. She experimented with different rhythms such as tango and danzón, composing funny but witty songs about love and life between women.

During the nineties Felipe and Rodríguez opened El Hábito, a bar in Coyoacán, and the restaurant Teatro La Capilla, where protests against the government and the church in the form of cabaret always had a venue. Rodríguez and Felipe supported independent cultural groups and projects, and always committed themselves to political causes of national interest, but focusing in gender and GLBT issues. In 1991 they got married in a symbolic ceremony as a protest against the Catholic Church, and as a display of public support for Mexico City’s Leyes de Convivencia, the law that preceded this year’s gay-marriage bill. Unfortunately, Felipe and Rodríguez decided to retire in 2005. El Hábito is now run by a lesbian performance group, Las Reinas Chulas, under the name El Vicio.

Today Rodríguez and Felipe, after the good news of gay marriage in DF, wrote an open letter to La Jornada that Macha Mexico considers important to translate here:

Happy 2010 in a city that is a little bit more egalitarian!
Due to the lack of laws in this matter, we did not have other option than to live 30 years as simple lovers; but now that we finally have the same rights and obligations that every one else, Jesusa Rodríguez and Liliana Felipe would like to announce our upcoming marriage in Mexico City.

We also want to adopt two homeless girls in order to give them the education that they never had, they are: Mariana Gómez del Campo and Gabriela Cuevas [homophobic members of the conservative PAN party]. In spite of how difficult it is to reeducate an adult, we think that with patience and love everything is possible.

To Onésimo Cepeda and company, we ask them: and the kids raped by Maciel, who will they call father, who will they call grandfather, who will they call saint pedophile?

To all those who have not done it yet, we wish you that you come out of the closet this 2010 and enjoy your life more fully.

Long live equality!

Jesusa Rodríguez and Liliana Felipe

Coyoacán is known for its many coffee shops and the hippie intellectualism that supposedly lurks there. Indeed, if there is a place in Mexico City where you are most likely to see a young person hunched over a battered copy of Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina or arguing with a group of dreadlocked friends about whether the PRD can ever truly be a radical party, it is probably in one of the dozens of coffee shops within a few blocks from the Plaza Hidalgo.

One of the most popular coffee venues is El Jarocho, which has several locations clustered in the center of Coyoacán. Although it’s hardly an undiscoverd gem, El Jarocho has become a favorite of mine, not so much for the coffee they serve (which is quite good), but for their frozen chocolate. This treat, which comes served in a styrofoam cup, captures the essence of chocolate caliente, complete with tiny flecks of cinnamon floating around, but in a form that is a cross between a milkshake and a cup of nieve.

Their coffee is strong and good; it has a bit of a following. Although there is no indoor seating at their location on the corner of Allende and Cuauhtémoc, it’s not uncommon to see lines stretching down the block, waiting to order at the counter. Other locations are a bit more relaxed, with benches and plastic chairs partially blocking the foot traffic on less-busy streets.

I have taken to heading to El Jarocho after having tortas at La Barraca Valenciana; there is a location right next door, on Avenida Mexico between Malintzin and Xicotencatl. I always go for the chocolate frío, but there are other frozen drinks, a surprisingly large selection of caffeinated and decaffeinated teas, as well as rich-smelling cups of Veracruz-style espresso drinks. The pan dulce is nothing to write home about, but as a vehicle for the coffee, you could do a lot worse. They also sell coffee to brew at home.

El Jarocho; www.cafeeljarocho.com.mx/; locations throughout Coyoacán

In spite of the horror and sadness of the whole story, none of the cases has been satisfactorily solved. Over the time, indifference and negligence have made Ciudad Juárez a scary town for tourists, and of course, for the female inhabitants who usually have to commute at unusual hours of the day or night in order meet the demanding 12-hour shifts of the factories.

Bajo Juárez, the City Devouring Its Daughters, is the name of a documentary directed by Alejandra Sánchez and José Antonio Cordero, two brave filmmaker who conducted a research during 2001-2007 about “las muertas de Juárez” and all the parts involved in this tangled story.

It’s worth saying that only a few journalists, such as Sergio González Rodríguez and Diana Washington, have dared to research the now notorious feminicidios. Those who have been brave enough to do so have been threatened by the obscure individuals, or groups, involved. Sánchez and Cordero explore not only the side of the families affected, but also the comments of those who claim that everything is all right in the city. The documentary also discusses the theories pointing to the direct relation between the crimes and high circles of power that practically own the city.

If you are interested in this great research and documentary material, the Cineteca Nacional will be showing the film during three days this week. We highly recommend it.

Cineteca Nacional, Av. México-Coyoacán 389, Col. Xoco. Metro Coyoacán, Sala: 5, from June 2nd, to June 4th, Sala 5, 7.15 and 21:15 hrs.

A couple of years ago the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City opened a major exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s works, photographs, and personal letters to celebrate her 100^th birthday. Hordes of people lined up outside the building, waiting more than an hour to see Kahlo’s works, which were gathered together in Mexican territory for the first time. After three months, official numbers registered 363,000 visitors, which made the promoters and curators proud. Proud of having brought such an attractive exhibit to Mexican audiences, both experts and fans, as well as curious individuals willing to know the life and work of Frida Kahlo.

Far from trying to explain the fridomania, there is no wonder that the chilangos who went to the exhibit wanted to know why this woman is so fascinanting. As ironic as it sounds, Kahlo’s presence is all over Mexico City, but her work is hard to reach here. Those who want to look at a real Kahlo’s painting have to travel to Austin, New York, or San Francisco, chasing private collections. As far as I know, one of the most important Kahlo’s paintings that remains in Mexico City is “Dos Fridas” (Two Fridas) at the Museum of Modern Art, near Chapultepec.

Yet, Mexico is still the Mecca of Frida’s fans who want to explore the same scenarios where she lived, suffered the consequences of a terrible accident, and enjoyed all the lovers that legend has attributed to her, including Diego Rivera, Leon Trotsky, and an alleged list of women. Somehow, Frida’s life and whereabouts allow her fans to dream about a woman who represent some kind of free spirit, sexual liberation, and strength against adversities–as well as to travel through an old Mexico City that doesn’t exist anymore.

Frida was lucky enough to grow up in Coyoacán, a little town that was still outside of urbanized Mexico City back in 1907 when she was born. The neighborhood is now part of the city but has been able to keep some of its cozy cobbled streets that attract hipsters, bohemians and students to its cafes, bars, and stores. Her childhood home, the Casa Azul, is in this area, the official museum and worship place of Frida’s life where you can take a peek into her private life (as private as a museum can be). After that, if you want to follow the same thread, you can take a cab or a pesero to reach the Anahuacalli Museum, Diego Rivera’s collection of pre-Hispanic art. (Your ticket from the Casa Azul also grants admission to Anahuacalli for one month.)

Frida studied at San Ildefonso, a beautiful building right in front of the Templo Mayor in the Centro Histórico. This is where Frida and Diego met when she was a 19 year-old student and he already was a famous painter, notorious for his political opinions and affection for Russia and the Communists. During this period, the Centro Histórico was a campus where young students crowded into cheap restaurants, used-book stores, and last but not least, cantinas.

Traces of Frida can also be found near Xochimilco, at the Dolores Olmedo Museum which is a gorgeous house worth to see just because of its beautiful gardens where peacocks and xoloscuincle dogs (Fridas’s favorite dog–with no hair at all) hang out with visitors. Olmedo was Rivera’s long-time lover and became later the administrator of Frida and Rivera’s art. Several of Frida’s paintings, such as The Broken Column, are part of the permanent collection, but they are often on display at exhibitions around the world, so it’s a good idea to call and check the status of specific works you are trying to see.

Right after the Frida Kahlo anniversary exhibit, the museum tried to repeat the success with a collection of Diego Rivera’s work. This time neither the press nor visitors rushed to the museum. Frida proved to have more fans and worshipers maybe due to the legend and mystery that still surrounds her as an interesting character to be explored. Maybe, deep in the ground, Rivera’s extremely high ego hurt a little.

Museo Frida Kahlo: Casa Azul; Londres 247, Col. del Carmen, Coyoacán; Phone: 5554 5999; Open Tuesday -Sunday, 10-6; Admission: 55 pesos

Museo Dolores Olmedo; Av. México 5843, Col. La Noria, Xochimilco; Tues-Sun 10am-6pm

The tradition is that those who had rosca de reyes on January 6^th, and found a little plastic-baby in their slice are obligated to buy tamales for their family and friends.

If you happen to be here this weekend, I highly recommend the Feria del Tamal, at the Museo de Culturas Populares in Coyoacán. This celebration is related to the Día de la Candelaria, the day in which Mexicans take Baby Jesus to the church to be blessed and then eat tamales and atole.

The whole celebration is related to biblical times when Hebrew first born children were saved from the Angel of Death, in opposition to the fate suffered by Egyptian elder children. Accordingly to the Leviticus, Jews celebrated this historical event by taking their first born children to the temple, also offering a couple of white doves or a lamb, depending on how rich was the family. This ritual had to be accomplished 40 days after the child was born. In the case of Jesus, it is February 2^nd, since he was on December 25^th. That is why during these days you will see people offering their professional services to dress-up baby Jesus, so he can be blessed wearing proper clothes. The catholic celebration mixed with the Mexican indigenous tradition of taking corncobs to the temple to offer them to small gods that protected the harvest.

The Feria del Tamal is interesting because of the wide variety of tamales that you can eat there. Producers from different places of Mexico such as Oaxaca, Puebla, and Yucatán come to offer their particular way of making tamales. What I think is most attractive of this fair though, is that it also gathers producers from different parts in Latin America, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua y Perú making this event a unique opportunity to know different cuisines from the continent.

One more tip: please, don’t say tamale. The word is tamal, without the “e”.

Feria Internacional del Tamal, Museo de Culturas Populares, from January 30th to February 2nd. Avenida Hidalgo 289, Coyoacán

In any case, some lesbian friends of mine accidentally introduced me to a great little café in Coyoacán that caters to those with specialized food needs. Formerly known as Basanti, Café-Patisserie “Ruta de la Seda” (“silk route”) opened in the spring of 2008 and claims to offer “organic flavors of the world.” While that might be a bit of a stretch (since only two or three continents were represented–one in the form of a plate of house-made samosas and accompanying mango lassi), I was impressed by what I saw on the menu and the few items we sampled while seated under the shade of large umbrellas in front of the cafe.

All of their baked goods are made from trigo integral (unbleached, whole grain flour) and many options are dairy free. In addition to containing no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or genetically modified ingredients, no animal fats are used in their doughs (only pure canola oil). All of their postres (38-40 pesos) are baked on the premises: the smell of fresh-baked almond cookies wafted out of the kitchen to where we were sitting outside, tempting our small group to order more than we already had.

Although not all of their products are organic (coffee being a major exception), all of their juices, fruits, vegetables, dairy-products, breads, and tortillas are certified as such.

There were an assortment of sandwiches and teas on the menu, but we stuck to coffee and dessert. They offer the standard upscale coffee choices, as well as some I had never seen, such as the delicious cubana style coffee, an espresso flavored delicately with caramelized sugar. All drinks could be made with soy milk, which is not something I have seen very often in Mexico City.

The menu warned us that not everything listed was always available, due to the seasonal nature of many of their ingredients, but I was still disappointed when the waitress told me that they weren’t offering the tarte tatin I had my eye on. She pointed out several alternatives, included one not on the menu, a dense and bittersweet chocolate cake (perhaps flourless…), served with dollops of blueberry puree and fresh blueberries on top.

I’m no connoisseur of pastries, but I must say, I was impressed by this cake. The generous slice was simple and rich, dense without being too dry. If the (no added sugar) blueberry puree was underwhelming, it was only in comparison to the intense flavor of the chocolate. Devouring it was a group effort.

What I liked most about this small café was that it had a refined, French atmosphere about it, despite its very Berkeley, hippie heart. The quality of the food and coffee we ordered was so high that I didn’t mind the peace-frog soap dish in the bathroom. Even with the organics, the prices were lower than many of the more touristy cafés in the center of Coyoacán. I suspect that some items on the menu are better than others, but it will be a pleasure to go back and sample more.

Ruta de la Seda is not a specifically lesbian establishment, but the waitress was pleased to tell us that they “don’t discriminate against anyone,” and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for places off the beaten track in Coyoacán.

Café-Patisserie: Ruta de la Seda; located at the corner of Aurora and Pino in the Santa Catarina section of Coyoacán

But if you are someone who seeks a specific destination in your escape from the (often oppressive) bustle of Plaza Hidalgo and the Jardín Centenario, I recommend heading south down Calle Higuera for several blocks until you reach La Conchita, a small park centered around La Capilla de la Conchita, a tiny eighteenth century baroque chapel with moorish-inspired details.

balloon seller in La Conchita

The park itself is peaceful and has many benches, good for public necking, but there are some historical sights that make La Conchita worth strolling through. In addition to the Capilla de la Conchita, this plaza is home to the Casa Colorada, historic home of La Malinche (a.k.a. Malintzin to the Aztecs, and Doña Marina to the Spaniards), the mistress/native informant/baby mama of Cortés, symbolic mother of the mestizo, and fascinating historical and cultural figure. Hers is the red house on the corner of Higuera and Vallarta, but it is no longer open to the public.

If you stroll down to La Conchita to escape the bustle of Plaza Hidalgo and the Jardín Centenario (which, at this date, are undergoing major construction, threatening the livelihood of many vendors who usually set up shop there) and are looking for a place to grab a coffee, the Plaza Café, on the northern edge of the park, is not a bad choice.

In addition to hot and cold coffee drinks (between 14 and 30 pesos), you can also buy coffee grounds and beans here. Although I have never done so, the quality of the drinks I’ve ordered in house suggests that this might not be a bad place to come for a bag of freshly ground. Items which caught my eye on the menu (but which I have yet to sample) were the strudel and bisquets served with homemade fruit preserves. There are also many flavors of ice-cream and sorbet. For more savory options, under the section of the menu labeled “Para Matar el Hambre” (“Kill Your Hunger”) there are also empanadas and sandwiches served on bagels from 28 to 43 pesos.

The atmosphere of this cafe is open and relaxed; the music is not obnoxiously loud. It seems to draw a younger crowd (who linger near the front, perhaps just to hang out with the wait staff) as well as people in their thirties and forties enjoying a quiet place to have a coffee. I met an awesome transgender dyke there once, suggesting a pretty queer-friendly vibe among the staff, although not an explicitly lesbian or transgender establishment. The Plaza Café is a perfect place to seek refuge if you are caught in a summer rain while meandering in La Conchita.

Plaza Café; at the corner of Vallarta and Higuera on the northern edge of La Conchita

From May 22 to June 3, the Cineteca Nacional will host the XII Mix Platino Festival, focused on sexual diversity. This time, the festival features 70 films different countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Philipines, Spain, United States, and of course, Mexico.
One of the most promoted films of this edition, is “Abselce” an unknown film by Mexican director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo.

The theme of the 2008 festival is not only sexual diversity. It is intended to promote the Postales en acción para la prevención del VIH campaign (Postcards in action to prevent HIV). Also, the festival will be showing short films and advertisements that have upheld a positive image of the LGBT community.

Cineteca Nacional: Av. México Coyoacán 389 Col. Xoco Phone number: 4155-1190. Subway Station: Coyoacán

According to the Anahuacalli website, Rivera’s aim at the Anahuacalli was to create a City of the Arts, where architecture, music, theater, dance and crafts could flourish. This was what Diego had in mind when he designed the museum’s courtyard as an open-space theater, along with a gallery and a place where seminars and workshops could be held. The physical presence of the building is awesome–it rises up like a cross between a fortress and a pyramid–but perhaps because I visited on a weekday afternoon when the courtyard (and museum) were largely empty, I found the museum grounds to be desolate, almost sterile.

Access to the museum’s collections are only allowed via guided tours that begin approximately every hour throughout the day. The tour I attended was in Spanish, and was led by a listless though well-informed young lady who recited a memorized script describing the high lights of each room’s artifacts. Our guide kept a fast pace, despite the fact that there were only six of us on on the tour, which didn’t allow more than a minute or to wander around each room.

When I did stray from the tour guide to explore some of the objects in the room that she wasn’t elaborating on, I became aware that the displays were without the explanatory labels one might expect in a museum with artifacts from dozens of different pre-Hispanic cultures. Apart from the information out guide was providing, without any previous study of pre-Hispanic art, I felt lost in the museum, ignorant of the context and history behind the pieces around me. In that respect, Anahuacalli is not an anthropology museum, but truly an art museum, with pieces left to be approached as works of art, rather than artifacts. Without the opportunity to explore the museum at my own pace, however, it was difficult to carefully examine more than a piece or two in each room.

Several ceilings throughout the museum were designed by Rivera. My favorite is a mosaic picturing two faces framed within a vaguely anatomical heart; a hammer, sickle, and white dove loom above. The view from the top of Anahuacalli is a dramatic end to the tour. On a clear day, you can take in the expanse of the southern part of the city and even see snow-topped Popocatépetl to the southeast.

Unless there are special events or exhibitions going on during your visit, I would recommend Anahuacalli only to those with a great deal of interest in pre-Hispanic art or to the most dedicated Diego Rivera stalkers. For those in search of Frida, you will find none of her art and will be left to guess at her influence on the conception and design of Anahuacalli.

Located in Colonia San Pablo Tepetlapa in the southwestern part of Delegación Coyoacán, Anahuacalli is reachable by taxi (one from central Coyoacán would cost less than 40 pesos) or, for the more public transportation savvy, one of the peseros on Division del Norte.

The cost for entry is 45 pesos, which also includes entry at the Blue House Frida Kahlo museum in Coyoacán within one month of your visit.