Alberto Perera, 27

Why are you here?
I came for the first time this year with my friends. It’s nice to get together once a year to celebrate.

What does gay pride mean to you?
Gay pride is really a way of defending difference in general for everyone, a way of fighting for our rights.

What have you liked about the march?
I saw a man dressed in puppy bondage, I think that has been my favorite.

What is your struggle? 
Basically to get rid of labels, to think as a whole beyond communities and acronyms, to become pluralistic, to overcome certain barriers of violence.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
Mexico is a country where everything is allowed and coexists, but doesn’t end up accepted or integrated. It’s more like everything is left in the world of night and fun. There’s a lot more to do to be visible in the day-to-day.

How do you identify, and how do you live your identity?
I don’t like to say “I’m queer” and say it just because it’s in style. I don’t consider myself totally cisgendered. I think that I’m fluid and I live it in a very entertaining way.

What practical day to day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
My world is very aesthetic, I’m loyal to what I believe. I’m coherent and try to take on and understand the subjects that interest me like feminism, the world of drag, and transsexuality.

Benja, 29

Why are you here?
To celebrate the community.

What does gay pride mean to you? 
More than the fact of being gay, to me it’s about day-to-day acceptance. It’s about living [pride] daily with everything that [it] implies, and having the valor and bravery to be honesty about who one is. Not hiding, living openly and fully.

What have you liked about the march?
I love to see parents supporting their kids. Also this year I think that it was a march that was conscious of other issues, for example the situation in Oaxaca.

What is your struggle?
Egoistically, I think that I am very fortunate because I don’t feel that I have much to struggle with personally. I feel free and respected in my day-to-day environment. At the community level, I think we should fight for respect, for our rights, and the integration of the LGBTIQ community. I hope soon we will achieve perfect equality and these terms will become obsolete.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
Yes and no. I think that Mexico is very advanced in a lot of ways, like on the issue of gay marriage, which continues to be a source of discord in certain countries in Europe. But Mexico is exclusive at the same time, within the same community. There’s too much racism, classism, and intolerance in Mexican society. That also applies to the LGBTIQ community.

How do you identify, and how do you live your identity?
Today I consider myself a man who likes men. I think that is a detail, like having brown or blonde hair. That fact alone doesn’t define me; I am many other things.

What practical day-to-day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
I try not to judge my neighbor, and remove the labels that society never taught me to assign.

Brenda, 18

Why are you here?
It’s the first time I’ve come. Some friends invited me and it seemed important.

What have you liked about the march?
The way that people dress to express their pride.

What is your struggle?
I would like it if we all respected each other.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
There are many of us who want to change things and this country is getting more inclusive all the time, though there is still a long way to go.

What practical day-to-day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
Speaking out and supporting each other.

Eduardo, 22

Why are you here?
I feel that it’s important as a gay person to give an example of acceptance and being happy. The march is a good place to express ideas and feelings.

What does gay pride mean to you?
By being happy, that’s gay pride. [It’s] being able to accept myself as I am, and go against the idea that it is bad to be who I am.

What have you liked about the march?
The diversity, the effort that went into costumes, the coexistence.

What is your struggle?
To change the heteronormative idea that being gay is bad. We have to accept ourselves.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
Mexico is fighting to be a more inclusive country. There’s been some opening, but there is still a lot left that has to happen.

How do you identify, and how do you live your identity?
I’m a man, I’m homosexual. I have fun and enjoy it.

What practical day to day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
Respect everyone, educate others to be in tune with us.

Jason, 18

Why are you here?
To celebrate diversity, enjoy myself, and have a good time with all the beautiful people.

What does gay pride mean to you?
Enjoying it, being free and happy.

What have you liked about the march?
This beer, I’ve walked a lot!

What is your struggle?
Many things, but I think that being honest with ourselves, giving love, and being free could make things better.

How do you identify, and how do you live your identity? 
Sometimes I’m a homosexual baby, sometimes I’m a straight baby.

What practical day-to-day actions can one take to make our society more inclusive?
Dressing as I want and having a good time.

How do you plan to celebrate after the march today?
I want to do it all! It’s all or nothing and I’m going with all.

Martha, 30

Why are you here?
I’m here for the fight for equality.

What does gay pride mean to you?
We are all equal and we all have the same rights and you have to celebrate that.

What have you liked about the march?
That everyone’s having a good time!

What is your struggle?
That gender doesn’t matter, that we all have the same rights and duties.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
No.

How do you identify, and how do you live your identity?
I’m a woman, heterosexual, and I live it fully.

What practical day-to-day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
I try to express myself as I want without caring about what others say.

Orlando, 22

Why are you here?
I am celebrating diversity and love.

What does gay pride mean to you?
I am gay and I live it by being happy, without fear of being as I want to be.

What have you liked about the march?
I just got here, there’s still a lot to see but there’s a lot of fun people and I like seeing them.

What is your struggle?
To not classify people as though we should all be the same. There are many genders, we should’t discriminate between ourselves.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
It’s starting to be more inclusive. I don’t feel like it will ever be totally, but we’re working on it.

How do you identify, and how do you live your identity?
I’m a man, I’m gay. I like to be ambiguous, wear skirts, paint my mouth, live that feminine side, be strange and be fun.

What practical day-to-day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
Be different so that people start to notice us and include us, to not have fear.

Yunuen, 16

Why are you here?
Because I support pride and respect.

What does gay pride mean to you?
It’s being brave.

What have you liked about the march?
The atmosphere in general.

What is your struggle?
Changing the idea that being queer/gay/trans/lesbian doesn’t make you lesser.

Do you think that Mexico is an inclusive country?
Mexico wants to be, but for many reasons, we’re not completely there.

What practical day-to-day actions can we take to make our society more inclusive?
Promoting respect despite differences.

  fashion news, life style news