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

Lesbian March*

For about four years (as I can recall)  this march has been celebrated as an alternative to the larger Gay Pride march in June that some consider more a carnival than a political protest. The motos of this march organized entirely by women are “Say no to the marketing of sexual diversity”; “Stop violent acts of the church, schools, medical science, family and political parties against women’s bodies”; “Stop feminicide all over the country”; “Against obligatory heterosexuality”, and “Stop total subordination of women in the world”.

In the past years, this march has been criticized because of the organizers’ reluctance to allow men’s participation–notwithstanding their political affiliation or good intentions. Apparently, this year things will change since men will be allowed to walk, although behind the main group.

Lesbian March,  from Zócalo to Monumento a la Revolución, 4 pm. If you want more information click here.

Chick’s Party

Never been there, but it advertises itself as “the best party for girls”. It offers an aerial dance show, go-go dancers, and a comfortable area to smoke and “make friends”. Karaoke from 7 to 9 pm and a couple of DJ’s will be playing the rest of the night. If you think this is not enough they also have valet parking….! My guess is that the scene would be similar to that of Lipstck, but you’ll have to find out.

Chick’s Party, Av. Chapultepec 456, near metro Sevilla. Cover: 80 pesos.

Rock Femenino

If you are looking for a more relaxed experience Foro Alicia is a great option. For more than ten years this legendary venue has been known as one of the few spaces in Mexico City where new groups of all musical genres can reach a quite diverse audience: rock, hip-hop, ska, rockabilly, cumbia, surf… you name it. This time, Los Leopardos (rockabilly), Black Violettes (rock) and famous Ultrasonicas will be playing. The last group features Ali Gua Gua, who also sings with our loved Kumbia Queers. This is definitely a great opportunity to dive within the alternative music scene of DF.

Rock Femenino, Multiforo Alicia, Av. Cuauhtémoc 91-A, Col. Roma, Tel. 55112100, Cover: 70 pesos.

*Thanks Catron for sharing this info with us.

The Clit Party is back again, with DJ May Crown spinning playful and sexy techno for the ladies to dance to this Thursday in the Condesa.

The party offers itself as an alternative to Lipstick, but caters to a similar crowd: twenty and thirty-somethings, middle class, femme-of-center. Being in the Condesa, however, expect a slightly more hipster vibe than at Lipstick. I’m sure electronic music aficionados can identify with much greater accuracy the sub-genres of techno that May Crown spins, but I’ll just describe it as pure ponchis-ponchis, the onomatopoeic descriptor used frequently in Mexico to describe any electronic dance beat.

Perhaps the best way to capture the feel of this scene is to leave you with the following footage from a recent Clit Party that the promoters published on youtube:

Clit Party: Electro Pop Love; Thursday, January 21st, 9pm; Nuevo Leon 67, Colonia Condesa

Two readings on new books focused on lesbianism and queerness will take place this Friday in different parts of the city. The first book is Entre amoras. Lesbianismo en la narrativa mexicana by María Elena Córdoba Rivera. The book will probably become one of the very few analysis about lesbian literature in Mexico. Experienced activists and writers will be present at the reading, so don’t miss this opportunity to ask all the questions about old school lesbianism in Mexico…

A couple of hours later, author Mauricio List Reyes will talk about his newest book Hablo por mi diferencia. De la identidad gay al reconocimiento de lo queer. List’s work focuses on sexuality as a political practice that works within a institutional construction closely related to modernity.

Whether you prefer literature or theory, both sound like good options to approach Mexican queer theory and practice. If you go to one of the readings, let us know your opinion.

Entre amoras. Lesbianismo en la narrativa mexicana, October 9th, 2009, 5:30pm; Torre II de Humanidades, 4th floor, Ciudad Universitaria, Copilco subway station.
Hablo por mi diferencia. De la identidad gay al reconocimiento de lo queer, October 9th, 2009, 7pm; Niza 23-A, between Reforma Ave. and Hamburgo St. Phone number 5533-7116.

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.

This Thursday the Museo Universitario del Chopo is opening an exhibition brought to Mexico City by the Spanish organization Asociación Cultural Visible. The main purpose of this association, and thus, of the exhibition, is to open spaces for the GLBT community in order to achieve visibility and change the way that the broader society conceives these groups.

The highlight is the work of Yoko Ono, who made an installation with a tree where you can hang a little paper with your deepest desires. A piece that, as Ono says herself, attempts to encourage public participation and gather the people’s good purposes.

Other artists participating in this exhibition are the filmmaker Derek Jarman, as well as artists from Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, Cuba and Chile. Other activities will be part of the exhibition, such as workshops, and lectures. If you want to see the whole program click here.

Historias de Amor; Museo Universitario del Chopo at the Academia de San Carlos; Academia 22, Col. Centro; phone number 55352288, ext.110; Zócalo subway station

September is a patriotic month in Mexico, a time when you can find good food everywhere, parties, and of course, extravagant manifestations of Mexican nationalism. However, some GLBT people still manage to find spaces where they can get together and discuss their ideas during this time of the year.

Such is the case of the 1st. Conference of Sexual Diversity, that starts on September 17th, at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The program includes lectures, music, and theater related to sexual diversity in Mexico, and its political issues. One of the highlights is the series of lectures on September 21st about the current laws within the UNAM regarding GLBT rights, as well as the history of those groups inside the National University.

The other highlight is the closing ceremony which will be partially in charge of our friends Burlesquimeras, as well as other performers.

The event is organized by Udiversidad, a group of students that thrive for equality, respect and tolerance towards sexual diversity–as they introduce themselves in their blog. This is certainly a good alternative if you don’t want to deal with hordes on the streets celebrating Mexican independence day until dawn.

1st. Conference of Sexual Diversity at the UNAM, from September 17th to September 21st, various venues. You can see the program here

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/2009/08/04/lesbian-sushi/ http://www.machamexico.com/2009/08/04/lesbian-sushi/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:16:46 +0000 Anna http://machamexico.wordpress.com/?p=146

No joke. Ladies get 40% off everything on the menu twice a week.

Almost three years ago, on my second night in Mexico City, I was invited by a fabulous group of machas to attend one of their birthday parties at “Lesbian Sushi.” I had some reservations about the name of this event, recalling an exceedingly awkward “queer sushi” event I attended at Barnard College, at which uncomfortable first-year GLBT students tried to roll their own vegetarian maki and flirt with each other. (We were equally unsuccessful at both.)

But here I had no reason to cringe; lesbian sushi was no formal event. Rather, the “ladies’ night” discount at a sushi restaurant in the Condesa, which kicks 40% off the bill for women on Mondays and Thursdays (that’s right, 40% off the bill) had attracted dykes looking for discounts, as ladies’ nights often do. What better place to invite friends for dinner than a restaurant where you only have to pay slightly more than half off the bill?

Two years later, “lesbian sushi” at the Musuko sushi restaurant is still going strong, though, to be fair, you are just as likely to see groups of Sex and the City-inspired straight girlfriends or fresa mother/daughter pairs gossiping over their tempura as you are to see machas. Still, this is a great place to plan a first date or a dinner outing for a group of queer gals.

tempura mixto

For those that have never had sushi in Mexico, it is a very different experience than eating sushi in the United States (which, I suspect, is also very different than eating sushi in Japan). Be warned, almost all of the maki rolls on the menu at Musuko list cream cheese (queso) as one of the ingredients. Although at first I was fairly adamant about ordering my rolls sin queso–I just couldn’t seem to get over the idea that cream cheese should be eaten with a bagel, plus, it makes each roll a considerably heavier dish–I’ve since warmed up to it, at least on certain rolls.

My favorites on the menu now tend to be the rollos that are least like what I would find on menus in the United States. For example, the Inari roll comes breaded and friend, tempura style, the cream cheese deliciously melted along with the fish. (I never thought I’d admit to liking that particular combination.) The Taigarai roll is both delicious and visually interesting, with each piece topped with a dollop of spicy crab salad and a miniature slice of lime. For a bit of tropical fusion, the Plátano Rollo comes with friend banana slices wrapped around the inside and kampyo (Japanase pickle) on the inside. For more traditional fare, I enjoy the Futomaki A, which is one of the few rollos that are offered without cream cheese. All the rollos range between 60 and 90 pesos, but that’s before the discount!

a macha enjoying her postre

Other items worth noting include the savory sopa de hongos (mushroom soup), the tempura mixto (95 pesos), which is large and good for sharing, and the kushiage salmón (25 pesos), a sort of deconstructed and deep fried bagel-free cream cheese and lox combination. I’ve never actually tried this, but I know several machas who swear by it. The large menu also offers a range of appetizers, ramen noodle soups, as well as rich, french-style desserts.

Be warned, service can be a little slow, especially on Thursdays when the place tends to be more crowded. Although Musuko is a chain, the location in the Condesa is the only one that offers this particular discounts to women on Mondays and Thursdays. (The same discount is offered to men on Fridays.) As a great seeker of discounts, I can’t stress how nice it is to receive the check after lesbian sushi, since it shows your original total, the amount you saved, and your new, reduced bill.

Musuko (El hijo del sol naciente); Nuevo León 160, on the corner of Campeche, Colonia Condesa; Tel. 5553-1443; Open Mon-Sat from 1pm until 11:30, Sun until 11