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Gay Culture - Mexican
and U.S. Comparison
When I attend CETALIC
last June, an important part of the program was learning about Mexican cultural
with a special emphasis on Gay Men. For
three weeks I studied and lived with Mexican gay men, and acquired a true
appreciation for their genuine hospitality and relaxed lifestyle.
Actually, I noticed more similarities than differences.
The comparisons I make are not intended in any way to be judgmental or
suggest one cultural is better than the other.
Both cultures are good, and both are in some ways different.
Below, I listed some of the key differences between how gay men in Mexico
and the United States live and included some of the factors the contribute to
these differences.
The average gay Mexican does not enjoy the same high
standard of living the many gay men in the United States take for granted.
Economically, the country is struggling, and the average income is
approximately $30.00 per week. The North American Free Trade Agreement between Canada,
Mexico, and the United States has done little to improve life for the average
Mexican citizen. Job opportunities
in Mexico are scarce and wages are low, even for college graduates.
The average gay guy cannot afford an expensive car or condo, cannot spend
$100 on entertainment each weekend, cannot afford to frequently travel on nice
vacations, and cannot afford most of the material things that many U.S gay men
enjoy. However, despite the
economic differences, the Mexican men I met lived in nice, clean, homes and were
generous about sharing what they had. Most
Mexicans do not have a retirement income and move in with younger members of
their families for support when they become old.
Health care is expensive and people living with AIDS can rarely afford
proper health care and drugs.
Gay Mexican men are much
more conservative and many do not disclose their homosexuality.
Except for gay pride day in Mexico City or larger tourist areas, most gay
Mexican men prefer to remain anonymous and not call public attention to their
sexual orientation. Mexican gay men dress neatly and conservatively.
Although the climate is warm, most men wear long pants and leather shoes.
The tattered “grunge look” is not a fashion statement in Mexico and
some might be insulted if you came to their homes dressed in torn cut-off jeans
with dirty gym shoes. Some of the
gay couples I met, that were in long-term relationships, lived in separate homes
and got together on the weekends. In
the United States, public disclosure of one’s homosexuality is much more
common and encouraged. However, in
Mexico there is a very close bond between family members and individuality is
secondary to social conformance. Unlike
the United States where individuality and independence from one’s family is
part of growing into adulthood, Mexicans cherish their strong family bonds and
disclosing one’s homosexuality is not as high of a priority.
Overall, Mexico is a conservative country and the very dominant Catholic
Church influences social policies. Unfortunately,
the Catholic Churches opposition against the use of condoms has impeded
much-needed public education programs in controlling the spread of AIDS.
The church is also extremely aggressive and vocal about condemning
homosexuals and uses its power to influence laws. In Mexico, the consequences of publicly disclosing one’s
homosexuality can be much more severe than the United States.
Perception of time in
Mexico (for both homosexual and heterosexual) is more relaxed.
Although it is sometimes joked about, Mexicans do have a different
perception of time then people in the United States.
My gay host Antonio explained to me that there continues to be more
emphasis on “timeliness” in business matters; however, most Mexicans prefer
maintaining a more relaxed time schedule in social matters.
This was quite an adjustment for me because I’m always on time for
everything. However, after a couple
of weeks I fell right into the routine and rather enjoyed the fact that I could
be a few minutes late without feeling panic.
I remember on my return trip from an excursion in Mexico City that I was
worrying about getting back to my home in time to meet a date I had made with a
local Mexican guy named Xavier. Our
bus was approximately 2 hours late and I felt terrible about not being there
when he came. However, my worry was
for nothing because thirty minutes after I got home, Xavier arrived … right on
time.
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Men
of Chicago United 
Los hombres de Chicago unieron