Gay and Lesbian Community in Guanajuato?

[enigma184]

Can anyone tell me about the LGBT community in Guanajuato? I am considering a move to Mexico and am researching places where I can live on Social Security and feel comfortable in my own skin...that is, lesbian skin. I am also considering SMA and Morelia.
I hope this is a proper forum for asking this question.
Thanks.
E

[meroberts]

You might find SMA a more populated community but I would not know where to refer you. You might already have some contacts there. Or someone on this Forum who might be able to assist you better.

Best regards,

Martha

[Mickey]

I haven't heard of any LGBT community here, although we occasionly see a gay foriegner passing through. I asked my Mexican friends and they said there are a few Mexican transvestite men that hang out at a bar on La Alhondiga street. They also seemed uneasy with the idea of foriegn LGBT here in GTO. SMA is probably a more tolerant city than GTO, the folks here are still pretty traditionally Catholic.

[alan108]

I think you would be much happier in San Miguel. There is a large and liberal expat community here and a significant lesbian population.

[mr bill]

Hello Enigma - welcome to GTO. I've been here since 1996 and there has been always been a small population of gay and lesbian people here - both locals and expats. This forum may not be the place to look for them however as it is new and small. I hope the comments like "you might be better off in SMA" are taken to suggest that there should be a larger community in San Miguel and not that you would be unwelcome here as you will be. BIENVENIDOS

[KenMacD]

Can anyone tell me about the LGBT community in Guanajuato? I am considering a move to Mexico and am researching places where I can live on Social Security and feel comfortable in my own skin...that is, lesbian skin. I am also considering SMA and Morelia.
I hope this is a proper forum for asking this question.
Thanks.
E

Dear E,
There is no LGBT community in Guanajuato, but there isn't, to my knowledge, in San Miguel either and I can't say what goes on in Morelia. However, as a gay man who has spent a lot of time in SMA over the past several years, we (myself and my partner of 30 years) decided to buy a house in Guanajuato (GTO) last year. Part of the reason was cost. San Miguel's real estate costs are 2 or 3 times greater than Guanajuato's. Another was the smaller number of expats in Guanajuato compared to San Miguel (SMA); something like 300 vs. 10,000. In my opinion there are far too many expats in SMA for my tastes and believe me, that effects the whole experience of Mexico. Don't get me wrong, I love SMA and I have some good friends there and love to visit there, but GTO is a more authentic place because the expats have not taken over. In addition, GTO has it over SMA culturally. Much of the culture in GTO is due to the University, which sponsors an unbelievable amount of things cultural. It also accounts for a younger population.

There are lots of reasons to consider GTO over SMA as a place to live, but finally we have never experienced any discrimination whatever in GTO. Our opinion is that Mexicans really don't care what your sexuality is. Everyone says GTO is very conservative, but I think this applies mostly to their politics and not their social interactions.

We feel pretty well integrated into the expat community in GTO and that after only having spent 4 1/2 months there (we are back in the US currently until October). It is easy to get to know people here, both gringos and Mexicans. If you want to discuss this in greater depth, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely, Ken MacDonald kwmacdonald@sbcglobal.net