5 Queer Feminist Icons Who Shaped Mexico’s History
Mexico’s queer feminist movement has been loud, brave, and beautifully complex — rooted in resistance, creativity, and care. These five icons made space and redefined queer activism. And while each one carved a different path, their work intersects in one shared goal: freedom.
Let’s give them the recognition they deserve.
Why These Stories Matter
Queer feminism in Mexico didn’t emerge from hashtags or headlines. It was built by the people who put their lives on the line, in Congress, in protest, in art, in community, in every day life.
Some were loud. Some worked quietly behind the scenes. All of them were necessary.
Nancy Cárdenas – Call Me Mother!
She was the first public figure in Mexico to come out as a lesbian on national television, and she never looked back. Nancy co-founded the country’s first queer rights organization, helped write and publish Mexico’s first LGBTQ+ Manifesto, and led some of the earliest Pride demonstrations in the country. Poet, director, journalist, and activist, she centered lesbian voices in both art and politics, and demanded that feminism do the same.
Yan María Yaoyólotl – The Revolution Will Be Archived
A self-declared mystical warrior and lifelong activist, Yan María co-founded Mexico’s first lesbian-feminist group in the late ’70s. She blended Marxism, ecofeminism, and Indigenous resistance into her politics. She’s archived decades of lesbian-feminist struggle to make sure no one forgets. From anti-capitalism to anti-extractivism, her work remains a rallying cry for radical change.
Jesusa Rodríguez & Liliana Felipe – Life is a Cabaret!
Theater, politics, and love! This power couple turned cabaret into an act of rebellion. Jesusa and Liliana met in Mexico’s countercultural scene and built an empire of resistance through performance. Their shows tackle everything from militarization to animal rights, always with humor and punch. In 2010, they became one of the first same-sex couples to legally marry in CDMX. Partners on and off stage, they’ve lived a radically queer life out loud!
Patria Jiménez – Power Lesbian Realness
In 1997, Patria became Mexico’s first openly lesbian congresswoman, but her fight started long before that. In feminist collectives, in LGBTQ+ protests, and on the frontlines of Zapatista solidarity. Once in office, she decriminalized homosexuality and pushed for justice in femicide cases. Patria brought activism from the streets and into Congress, making.
Silvia Carmona – Chosen Family Matters
She’s not queer herself, but Silvia Carmona has saved more queer lives than most public figures ever will. After contracting HIV in the ’90s, she turned her struggle into purpose, founding Casa David, a shelter for people (mostly LGBTQ+) living with HIV/AIDS. Silvia’s home became a refuge, and her activism a beacon of hope. She reminds us all that true allyship isn’t a label, it’s a daily practice of care, dignity, and showing up for each other.
Walk With Us!
Want to experience queer and feminist Mexico beyond textbooks and timelines?
Join MXCity for the Girls, Gays & They’s, our walking tour that celebrates lesbian icons, queer rebels, and activists who shaped Mexico’s herstory.
Check all our tours that bring queer history and Mexican culture to life. Your curiosity belongs here!