June is here, rainbow flags are flying, and if you’ve ever joined a Pride March in Mexico City, you know the feeling: the sound of drums, the fire of protest chants, and the undeniable energy of a movement.
But do you know where it all began?
Long before Pride was a parade or a party, it was a protest. In Mexico, that protest started in 1979, with under a thousand people, hand-painted signs, and the courage to be seen. Here’s how Mexico’s first Pride March came to be, why it still matters, and how the fight for LGBTTTQIA+ rights continues today.
The 70s: A Decade of Oppression and Resistance
The 70s: A Decade of Oppression and ResistanceThe 1970s in Mexico were heavy. In the wake of the 1968 Tlatelolco student massacre and the Dirty War, the government tightened its grip on dissent. It was a decade defined by censorship, authoritarianism, and a state-backed version of morality where queerness had no place.
Being LGBTQ+ wasn’t just taboo, it was criminalized, medicalized, and mocked. Public life was steeped in conservative Catholic values. Queer people, especially trans folks and sex workers, were pushed to the margins, harassed by police, and denied access to basic dignity.
But still, people organized. Queer folks built community in backrooms, classrooms, art collectives, and protest spaces. They showed up not only for their own rights but in solidarity with feminist, student, and labor movements. The seeds of something bigger were already growing.
1979: The Year That Changed Everything
1979: The Year That Changed EverythingThe revolution didn’t come overnight. In 1971, a man was fired from Sears in Mexico City for being gay. That single act of discrimination triggered a wave of outrage and organization. Artists, students, and intellectuals, including lesbian activist Nancy Cárdenas and journalist Carlos Monsiváis, came together to form Mexico’s first gay liberation group called “Frente de Liberación Homosexual (FLH)” or Homosexual Liberation Front.
In July 1978, around 30 openly homosexual protesters joined the march commemorating the Cuban Revolution, marking the first visible LGBTQ+ contingent in a public demonstration. In October that same year, a larger group of gays and lesbians participated in the memorial march for the Tlatelolco student massacre, aligning themselves with broader anti-authoritarian and leftist movements. These acts of courage paved the way for what was to come.
Then came June 29, 1979. The first official LGBTQ+ Pride March in Mexico, then called the Marcha del Orgullo Homosexual, began with fewer than 1,000 people walking from the Ángel de la Independencia to Plaza Carlos Finlay. Police tried to reroute them. The marchers refused.
They chanted:
“There is no political freedom without sexual freedom!”
“Until we’re all free, none of us are free!”
It was bold. It was radical. It was historic.
And while Stonewall is often credited as the spark that ignited global LGBTQ+ resistance, Mexico’s queer activism wasn’t just a reaction to what was happening up north. It had already been born from the fire of local injustices and community-led resistance.
In other words: Mexico had its own reasons to resist and its own revolution to fight.
Why Pride Was (and Still Is) a Protest
Why Pride Was (and Still Is) a ProtestWhile today’s Pride celebrations include glitter, floats, and music, we can’t forget that Pride started as a fight… and it still is.
It’s about claiming space, defending rights, and refusing to be erased. Especially in Mexico, where public queerness is still policed, and where many trans, Indigenous, and nonbinary folks continue to face daily discrimination, Pride remains a radical act.
Why Trans Visibility Is Central to the Movement
Why Trans Visibility Is Central to the MovementTrans people, especially trans women and people of color, face some of the highest rates of violence in Mexico and around the world. That’s why trans visibility isn’t optional, it’s essential.
In Mexico, we use the acronym LGBTTTQIA+ with three T’s, and each has its own power:
- Transgénero – those whose gender identity doesn’t align with their assigned sex at birth.
- Transexual – those who undergo medical/social transition.
- Travesti – a culturally specific identity, particularly in Latin America, used by people assigned male at birth who live in feminine ways that defy binary norms.
Including all three reflects the richness and complexity of our gender-diverse community.
Pride isn’t just a celebration of those who fit into mainstream ideas of gender and sexuality; it’s about ensuring that everyone, especially our most marginalized, is included in the fight for equality. When we fight for trans rights, we fight for all LGBTQ+ rights. We are all connected, and our struggles are united.
Pride Isn’t Just a Month. It’s a Movement.
Pride Isn’t Just a Month. It’s a Movement.Pride isn’t just about rainbows, parties, and parades. It’s about showing up for yourself, for your community, and for the people still fighting to be seen.
Right now, LGBTQ+ rights are under attack across the world. Trans folks are being targeted. Queer people are being erased. And the most marginalized among us, especially Black, Indigenous, trans, neurodivergent folks, people living with HIV, and sex workers, are still fighting to survive.
So no, there’s no real Pride if it doesn’t include disident identities: trans people, nonbinary folks, sex workers, neurodivergents, racialized communities, people living with HIV, and queer folks living at every intersection society tries to erase.
Pride isn’t truly for all of us until it includes all of us. No racism, no classism, no transphobia, no serophobia.
This month isn’t just about looking good in the rainbow. It’s about reflecting, remembering, and doing something that actually matters even when you feel it’s small. Being part of this community means uplifting the people pushed to the margins, not just posting a flag once a year.
And if you’re visiting Mexico this Pride Month bring that intention with you. This country has a long, beautiful, and complex history of queer resistance. From the first Pride March in 1979 to today’s protests, drag collectives, and community-led movements. We’ve never stopped fighting.
Why This Isn’t Just About Being “Nice”
Ethical tourism is about more than being polite, it’s about power, privilege, and the impact you leave behind.
Mexico City is experiencing rapid gentrification, and its negative impact is affecting especially neighborhoods where LGBTQ+ and working-class communities have created safety, culture, and history. Queer nightlife, protest spaces, and even people’s homes are being pushed out, often by travelers who don’t mean harm, but haven’t been told the full story.
Taking these tips to heart isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being intentional. When you move through someone else’s city, especially as a queer traveler, you shape it too.
We love when travelers approach us with real curiosity and a willingness to learn and adapt.
That’s how community is built across borders, identities, and languages.
Let your impact be intentional.
Think you know queer history? Visit the City where it all started!
Join “MxCity for the Girls, Gays & They’s” our walking tour through the queer and feminist history of Mexico City. It’s spicy, smart, and full of stories they never taught in school. Learn everything about revolutionary drag queens, lesbian poets and everything in between.
Book here!