Mexico has long been hailed for being one of the most liberal countries in Latin America. With its strong, dominant gay community and a law that outlaws discrimination based on a person's sexual preferences, Mexico has long embraced and demonstrated a welcoming and open attitude towards homosexuality. Mexico City is thus the perfect backdrop for its annual Pride Week Festival, which usually takes place in the last week of June each year.
Every year during the Pride Week Festival, around twenty thousand gays and gay supporters come together and enthusiastically join the march down the scenic and famed Paseo de la Reforma. This march continues until it reaches the main square, where there will be a rally and a carnival. With the many colourful bombastic floats, numerous drag queens everywhere you look and rainbow flags galore, the Pride Week Festival is sure to be a welcome explosion for the senses.
While Mexico City's nightlife is usually already very exciting, it becomes infused with even more energy and noise during the Pride Week Festival, becoming more alive than any other time of the year. Some highly recommended nightspots to attend during the Pride Week Festival would be Living, on Paseo de la Reforma, El Taller, on Avenida Florencia, Lipstick, on Amberes and Cabare-Tito, on Londres. There is a virtually endless number of nightspots and activities to go to and you will be hard-pressed to get even a wink of sleep for the whole duration of the festival. In fact, sleep would really be a waste of time! Why sleep when there is always some place open for you to go to and people for you to meet?
In addition to the nightlife, gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses, of which there are many in Mexico City, usually hold special events or celebration during the Annual Pride Week Festival to commemorate the event. The aim is not just to foster stronger bonds between the gay community but also to encourage an awareness of the gay cause in general and to promote tolerance and acceptance.
Besides the festival in Mexico City, Pride Festivals are also held in Guadalajara, Puebla and Tijuana. While these festivals are not on the same scale as the one in Mexico City, they nonetheless provide interesting experiences to meet new people and have fun. Visitors heading to Mexico City for the annual Pride Festival there should also make a point to visit these cities too for a more complete experience.