The government in Puebla has decided to take away the few spaces we have, trying to convince the people that it's always in a context of crime, vice and underground. There's one specific situation I'm writting about: the gay orgies hunting announced in a note on a local newspaper last week.
Alcohol and drugs distribution are the excuse they are using to legitimate this decisión, according to Hector Ibarra Cadena director of comercial issues in Puebla when we're talking about private partys (your birthday at home, for example) police can't enter because it's forbidden by law "but in case we acces to private spaces we'll enter and punish in the case is needed" read the full note
http://www.intoleranciadiario.com/nuevo/despliegue-noticia.php?id_noticia=50293
What I mean is... when you read the note you can notice that homosexality is more dangerous for people tan drug-dealing i'm finding like a warninig sign when the Word gay or homosexuality is always next to clandestinity and I think of it as homophobia in mexican newspapers (nothign new, but we have to remind it) the fear about alcohol or drugs is nothing compared to the fear to know there are groups of gay man having sex with each others enjoying their freedom and based in agrements between each others. Homophobia is not only beat a girly boy's ass in the middle of the night outside a gay bar, it's not only make fun of the stereotipe we watch on tv. If we already know, why do we allow it?
When I think of regulating this spaces I say yes! make all this spaces pay taxes and all this issues but get all of them. Regulate the underwear partys in the city, and the table dances and avoid the blackmailing by the police which allows everything wheter it might be a crime or not, if it's ilegal or not doesn't matter as long as you pay for some money to stay anonimous. Why the autorithies does not care about houses when young women, come of them children are raped and forced to sexual work? Why is suddenly more important to hunt homosexual parties than get pederastian networks?
I find incredibly more dangerous and terribly offensive to know there are places making money with women and sometimes even children in conditions of slavery while in comparison to a gay orgy or swinger clubs in the end..the system is the one who keep this things in secret giving silence for money and persecution to the ones who don't operate in this terms.
Thanks for writing up all of this important information! The issue of regulation is an interesting one: We want state recognition and protection because it protects us against the harm that comes with things that are unlicensed or even potentially illegal (such as bribery, blackmail, etc) -- but of course, State Regulation can also come with its own set of problems.
Also important is the way you point out how homosexuality becomes a site for government to exercise its moral authority. It's clearly not just about enforcing the law, but selectively enforcing the law by focusing in particular on a disadvantaged group. So upsetting!!!! Let us know if there's anything we can do from up here in the States, honey. xoxo