TOP 5
Mexico City’s Coolest Reveal Their Favorite DF Pleasures
Agapi Mu. A fabulous
Mediterranean joint. Watch out for Zorba-style flying plates! Alfonso
Reyes 96, Colonia Condesa; 5286 1384; agapimu.com.mx.
All-Night Flower Stand, Colonia Roma. Love and grand gestures do not follow a regular schedule, so there’s a bodacious 365/24/7 flower stand in the heart of the Roma. At the corner of Insurgentes
and Medellín Streets.
Rainbowland. Come out in a blaze of rainbow colors, at the boutique with everything from souvenirs to
sexy surprises. Estrasburgo 31 at
Amberes, Zona Rosa; 5525 9066; rainbowland.com.mx.
The Flea Market on Álvaro Obregón. Urban adventure for treasure hunters. The median strip
on Álvaro Obregón Street in the Roma, Saturdays approximately 10 am to 5 pm.
Museo del Estanquillo. Mexico’s pop culture museum is an orgy for the senses that combines ideas, literature, the cinema and music.
Isabel la Católica 26; 5521 3052; museodelestanquillo.com.
CHAPULTEPEC PARK
Billed as “Latin America’s Most Important Drag Act,” the Hermanas Vampiro perform Sunday nights at Papi Fun Bar in the Zona Rosa. Follow their ever-changing moods at facebook.com/LasHermanasVampiro.
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With a discreet wink we’ll cop to what everyone knows: its always fun to flirt and play when you travel. All cities are sexy, but it really hits a high gear in DF. Even if your Spanish is muy malo, a smile and an “Hola!” are usually all it takes to get the ball rolling. From there you rely on non-verbal communication. Below are some of the city’s hottest spots when you’re feeling extra friendly.
Baños San Juan. López 120, Centro; 5521 3376; daily 6 am-8:30 pm. Inelegant, but clean and very active bathhouse, especially afternoons. Skews older but there’s a little something for every taste. Red Hot Party. Río Pánuco 120-A, Colonia Cuauhtémoc; 04455 4833 9278; Mon, Wed, Sun 5-11 pm; Fri-Sat 10pm-6am. Popular underwear party for everyone from twinks to daddies. Sodomé. Mariano Escobedo 716,
Polanco; 5250 6653; Tues-Wed 4 pm-12 am; Thurs 4 pm-4am; Fri 4pm until Sun 11 pm; sodome.com.mx. Luxurious, immaculately clean, and hands down, the very hottest men. Full bar nightly; DJs and strippers weekends.
CIRCUIT PARTIES
The emphasis is on dance, but naughty surprises seem always to arise. Check websites like karmabeat. com.mx, vagabundos.mx, living. com, vdmas.com, maninfest.com, mejutoproducciones.com and gmusicfest.com to stay abreast of the ever-morphing scene. The White Party, held every November to support local HIV/AIDS charities, is a yearly highlight.
BUENAS NOCHES: THE DF’S LGBT-FRIENDLIEST HOTELS The legalization of same-sex marriage in Mexico City—along with its increasing popularity as an LGBT destination—means a lot of hotels, old and new, are rolling
out the rainbow carpet.
Hilton Mexico City Reforma.
Avenida Juárez 70, Centro; 5130 5300; hilton.com. Not unlike the Hilton in Houston or Altanta— but isn’t that the point? Great, no-surprises professionalism.
Holiday Inn Mexico Zona Rosa.
Londres 15, Zona Rosa; 5141 6020; holidayinn.com. Cozy and well-run, with the right location, and very ready to host your
wedding.
Hotel del Principado.
Londres 42, Zona Rosa; 5533 2944; hoteldelprincipado.com. mx. Moderate prices and prime
Zona Rosa location just add to the plusses. Immaculately clean
with ultra-friendly service.
Hotel Geneve.
Londres 130, Zona Rosa; 5080 0800; hotelgeneve.com.mx. Over the top, campy grandeur and not crazy expensive. In the heart of the Zona Rosa with a
Sanborns in the lobby. LGBT heaven, right?
Hotel JW Marriott.
Andrés Bello 29, Polanco; 5999 0000; espanol.marriott. com. Honeymoon in Polanco? Grand and perfectly run, the JW
Marriott positions itself as one of the city’s number-one spots
for same-sex marriage.
Hotel Valentina (by Room Mate Hotels).
Amberes 27, Zona Rosa; 5080 4500; room-matehotels.com.
Ultra-kicky boutique, with gaily-colored style on raucous
Amberes Street. The whole Zona Rosa scene is right outside
your door. Promise you’ll visit other streets, too.
W Mexico City.
Campos Elíseos 252, Polanco; 9138 1800; starwoodhotels. com. High-modern style, plus drama and a hint of sex, just the
way we like it.
SAUNAS, BATHHOUSES & CIRCUIT PARTIES
PICANTE:
HOTEL VALENTINA
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IN ADDITION TO ALL THE FUN AND CULTURE,
lgbt travelers will appreciate Mexico City’s notably
progressive attitude when it comes to sexual diversity. Informally, few cities worldwide could better represent the “live-and-let-live” attitude that is a (rarely remarked upon) feature of Mexican culture in general, further enhanced by the open-mindedness that city life supports. The generally warm, chatty and convivial nature of the Mexicans practically compels them to enjoy people as people, nothing more or less. There’s a feeling that we’re all in this together and a surprising lack of recourse to labels. As you make your way through the city you’ll see open expressions of sexual diversity, gestures of affection and hand-holding that attract virtually no attention from passers-by, even outside the Zona Rosa.
In recent years this street-level attitude has played out in a series of city-wide legal reforms that are a source of pride to many citizens, gay, straight or otherwise. Most notably, in 2010 the DF (which acts like a state in Mexican
politics) became the first jurisdiction in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage. Other progressive reforms have included allowing transgender people to legally change their sex on birth certificates and other legal records. Discrimination based on sexual identity is illegal in any guise, and as of 2010, same-sex couples can legally adopt children.
The government also maintains support centers for the LGBT community such as its Centro Comunitario de Atención a la Diversidad Sexual (Sexual Diversity
Community Service Center) Génova 30-H, Zona Rosa; 5533
6008; facebook.com/centro.comunitario.lgbt/info, which focuses on guaranteeing community access to healthcare, HIV testing, human rights, safety and justice, serves as a referral to other public services and support, and even helps process same-sex marriage licenses.
Naturally there is more work to do and activists push for even greater advances; but in the meantime Mexico City’s example might well serve other cities worldwide that seek to enhance equality for their lgbt citizens.