From: Christic Institute <christic@igc.apc.org>
Subject: QUEER PLANET--MEXICO
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 19:08:05 GMT

/* Written  5:37 pm  Aug 26, 1992 by jbinder in cdp:carnet.alerts */
/* ---------- "QUEER PLANET--MEXICO" ---------- */
From: James Binder <jbinder>
Subject: QUEER PLANET--MEXICO

/* Written 11:06 pm  Aug 24, 1992 by queerplanet in cdp:queerplanet */
/* ---------- "QUEER PLANET--MEXICO" ---------- */



QUEER PLANET/SAN FRANCISCO
Mark Duran 

Hi there. I've been sitting around ruminating about 
queer situation in Mexico D.F. (City) for the last few 
weeks. It seems that queers just turn up dead again and 
again. At first it was seven in a very short period. 
Which is a lot by anyone's standards, and is unheard of 
in Mexico D.F. Two happened to be AIDS activists from 
the Mexican group Companeros En Ayuda Voluntaria 
Educativa, A.C. (AVE de Mexico). They pass out AIDS 
information and condoms to people on the streets, 
including sex workers. But the other five were just 
your typical queers. The rumors we've heard in San 
Francisco, from our Mexican friends is that the body 
count is up to 20. I've been trying to substantiate 
this rumor, without much success. But this kind of 
thing goes on more or less out of our sight all the time.

When my boyfriend and I were in Mexico last fall, we 
participated with several groups in a AIDS awareness 
protest on the Dia de los Muertos. It took place at the 
foot of the Benito Juerez Monument (the Abraham Lincoln 
of Mexico). Ofrendas (low alters with offerings) were 
spread on the ground and surrounded with flowers honoring the 
people who have died with AIDS. The Queer Nation and Grupo 
Raro, (a newly formed queer group) ofrenda was 
sandwiched between the coolest Drag-activist sex worker 
group and Guerrila Gay a fab group of radical fags. We 
got to hear the police stories they had to tell. When 
you get picked up by the police in Mexico, it doesn't 
have to be for any particular crime, you might get 
gang raped by the police at the station. But the cops 
seem to go after the sex worker drag queens with a 
vengence. Normal run of the mill gays and lesbians 
purposely blend in and avoid detection mostly out of 
fear of the police. Mexico is one big closet, and by queer  
Mexican accounts, the most bisexual culture around. But in 
a city of 25 million, there are only a couple of gay 
bars and one lesbian bar and these bars are always 
under the constant threat of closure. The people who go 
to the bars are sometimes photographed by the media on 
their way in and out. Right now the bar scene is open 
only to the people who can pay the exorbinate door 
cover charges, the well to do, and the wannabe middle 
class. El Tallier (the mechanic) for instance charges 
30,000 pesos ($10) to be in a smallish normal disco nothing 
special. It's owned by an ex-revolutionary communist who claims 
to have to pay off the police. Spartacus the disco out by the 
airport is less tame and its clientel are more often the objects 
of attack and harrasement by police.

If you plan to travel in Mexico, don't use the Spartacus guide, 
its a waste of time and money. Some of the clubs listed in the 
guide for Mexico D.F., were destroyed by the earthquake in 1985.

But enough about my vacation. Can we use the email system to 
organize responses to the Mexico D.F. government about these 
crimes against us? Gente Latino de Ambiente is planning a protest 
here in San Francisco at the Mexican Consulate on August 26th at 
noon. We've thought about several other things we could do. Mexican 
Independence day is September 16th--the consulates and embassy 
will undoubtedly be closed. They will be open for business on the 
15th. Another place to strike could be at the airports at the 
Mexicana airlines. Maybe Amnesty International should receive 
some more pressure, they already are investigating the Police 
there. Whatever, they need to feel our pressure here. Lets talk 
about it more.



Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive