Gay Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires transvestites agree to move

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 10 May 2008 06:36:00 +0000

According to a report here - http://www.sentidog.com/article.php?id_news=21025 - the "working" transvestites of Buenos Aires have agreed to move their business to a new approved location next to the Lawn Tennis Club.

The original report is in Spanish so here is a translation by Google of the first few paragraphs -

" After years of dispute, back and forth, there was agreement. The Government of Buenos Aires confirmed that the travesties that usually worked in El Rosedal Palermo agreed to move to an area near the Lawn Tennis Club. The new circuit complies with the law stipulates that the offer of sex in the street must take place within 300 metres of housing.

Officials of the Ministry of Public Space met for two hours with representatives of the association of Travestis, Transsexuals and Transgender of Argentina (ATTTA). After the meeting, came confirmation: the first official red zone of the city will be located in the square Florencio Sanchez, behind the Hippodrome and next to the tennis club.

"We will enforce the law that says the travesties have to be 300 metres from homes. Today in El Rosedal that is not fulfilled," he said in statements this morning radio chief Cabinet Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta.

Between 100 and 200 travestis working since 2005 in the Rosedal and receive about 3,000 clients per night. The activity generated strong protests from neighbors, who for years have been demanding the move."

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Gay Film Festival calls for entries

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:46:00 +0000

DIVERSA International Gay / Lesbian / Trans Film Festival of Argentina is opening it's call for entries for the 5th edition which will be held in November 2008 in Buenos Aires.

If you are interested in participating please send your gay-lesbian-transvestite-transexual-bisexual-intersexual themed film, in DVD format, together with the complete entry-form (available on web or by email). The format, genre, release year and duration are free.

The deadline for material reception is August 1st, 2008.

DIVERSA FESTIVAL
Charcas 4070 1 “B”
(1425) Capital Federal
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Te: (+5411) 4833-7266
Website: http://www.diversa.com.ar/

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Gay Pride 2007 photos

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:56:00 +0000

In case you weren't able to be at Buenos Aires Gay Pride 2007 you can see a collection of photos from the event here.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Gay Pride this week

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:53:00 +0000

Yes, it's that time of year again. All the information you need about Gay Pride in Buenos Aires is at this web site (in Spanish). At the foot of the first page there is a translation tool so you can read all about it in your own language.

The parade on Saturday 17th November starts from Plaza de Mayo at 6 p.m. with the Gay Pride fair in the Plaza starting earlier at 3 p.m.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires gets first five-star gay hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:35:00 +0000

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - The first five-star gay hotel in Latin America opened Wednesday in the Argentine capital, an increasingly popular destination on the worldwide gay tourist circuit.

The hotel, set near the historic San Telmo neighborhood, is the second of its kind developed by Spain's Axel Corp., which opened a five-star, 66-room gay hotel in Barcelona in 2003....more

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Gay Film Festival opens in Buenos Aires

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:27:00 +0000

If you are in Buenos Aires right now you will be able to catch some of the films showing at "Diversa", the 4th International Gay, Lesbian and Trans Film Festival of Argentina. Full details are available in both English and Spanish at the web site here

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Exclusively gay apart-hotel to open in Buenos Aires

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:05:00 +0000

The Friendly Card Apart Hotel will open its doors on 1st October. This category 5-star apart-hotel will be exclusively gay and offers apartments of 45 sq.m. capable of sleeping up to four persons for US$1000 (approx 700 Euros) per month. It is situated at Tacuari 100 in the district of Monserrat close to the historic Avenida de Mayo. The first guests prior to the official opening are some of the participants in the gay football World Cup. The hotel does not appear to have a web site yet so no contact information is available.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Gay World Cup ready for kick-off

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:14:00 +0000

The gay football world cup kicks off in a few days time in Buenos Aires with the participation of nearly thirty teams from around the world.

For the official World Cup 2007 IGLFA website (in English) Click Here, and for more local information (in Spanish) Klik Aca.

Even good old auntie BBC has put out a video report which you can View Here.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

All set for Gay World Cup in Buenos Aires

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:55:00 +0000

Reproduced from PinkNews.co.uk

"South America has an impressive history when it comes to football, and this year it will be adding another great moment as gay teams meet for the 2007 Lesbian-Gay World Soccer Championship.

Supported by the Federation of International Football(FIFA), Buenos Aires, Argentina will host gay and lesbian teams from across the globe at the event later this month.

Gay and lesbian teams began to pop up almost three decades ago and the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association was formed to act as a governing body for the sport.

The goal of the organisation is to "engender respect and understanding from the non-gay world, through the medium of football (soccer)."

The event will be played in Buenos Aires' Sarmiento Park and is supported by the Argentina Soccer Association (AFA) and Argentine Homosexuality Community (CHA) along with FIFA.

AFA has dedicated itself to finding volunteers and officials to help oversee the event and are determined to make it a success.

AFA vice president Julio Grondona said:

"The World Championship is a sports and political event with a clear message: every player has the right to calmly express his sexual orientation without any kind of prejudice."

The opening ceremony for the championship will take place on Sunday, September 23rd at the Amerika Disco, and will kick off the week long event.

In 2008 the Gay World Cup will be held in London.

Dylan Vox © 2007 GaySports; All Rights Reserved.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Diversity in Rosario

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:44:00 +0000

On the first wekend of August 2007 I visited the city of Rosario, which is in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. One of my aims while there was to see the monument and path dedicated to diversity inaugurated on 22nd August 2006 and which I had read about on a web site.

The monument is hardly known among the local people; I went on a city tour of Rosario and our guide had no knowledge of it, and despite questioning various people we were none the wiser at the end of the tour. Back at my hotel I had to dig around on the internet and finally found the information I was seeking at the web site of gay Rosario http://www.agmagazine.com.ar/. Armed with this I was able to visit the monument on a sunny but chilly Sunday morning.

The path extends for about 100m in the grassy park running along the top of the western bank of the Rio Paraná between Corrientes and Paraguay streets with the monument standing at the Corrientes end. The monument is a simple pyramid about 1.3m tall with a plaque set into the side facing southeast. The inscription on the plaque reads "Por el respeto a todo género, identidad y orientación sexual" - "With respect for all gender, identity and sexual orientation". The pyramid started life having a striking pink colour but after one year this has faded considerably. Also there are pieces chipped out of it apparently from being struck several times, and some graffiti is scrawled on the side opposite to the plaque. I hope the local people can find a way of maintaining the dignity of the monument with as much care and attention as that given to the enormous phallic monument to the national flag which dominates the river bank in Rosario.

Continuing debate over transvestite prostitution in Buenos Aires

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:19:00 +0000

About two years ago the city government made a regulation that prohibited prostitutes from offering their services within 200 metres of a school, church or residential building. This prohibition covered just about every street in the city so the prostitutes (nearly all transvestites) moved their business to a part of Palermo Woods called Rosedal. (I have read in the press that every night Rosedal receives around 3000 potential clients in cars or taxis looking to do business with the 200 or so "girls" offering their services there - not all at the same time of course.) Then two weeks ago, as a result of complaints by nearby residents and park users, the government extended the prohibition to this location also.

The transvestites were so incensed that they not only refused to leave the area but on the following Monday held a protest outside the city government offices and the following day the order was rescinded. The government offered to organise a meeting to include all interested parties to try and resolve the situation.

Accordingly last Monday (6th August) a meeting was held in the unlikely venue of the the Palermo Golf Club. The two principal parties (transvestites and residents) ended up agreeing to disagree - a suggestion that the business be moved to the area near the Planetarium was rejected by the transvestites. The government is now going to meet each group individually to try and find a way of resolving the issues.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

First gay ski week in South America

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:54:00 +0000

Pride Travel of Buenos Aires announce the first Gay & Gay Friendly Ski Week of South America to take place from the 22nd of September 2007, at the exclusive ski resort of Las Leñas, Mendoza, Argentina. There are options for a weekend or a whole week and options for travel by air or by executive bus.

Las Leñas is probably the most well known ski resort in all of South America and boasts 29 slopes suitable for all levels served by 13 lifts.

For more information you can e-mail me via the contact link given in my profile.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Queer Tango in Buenos Aires

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:05:00 +0000

The 1st International Festival of Queer Tango in Buenos Aires is being held in the city from 26th November to 2nd December 2007. Full information about the festival in both English and Spanish can be found on the website Festival de Tango Queer with details of classes, workshops, teachers and registration.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

A gay Cabaret

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 13:04:00 +0000

Another show to highly recommend is the production of Cabaret now on stage at Teatro Astral, Av. Corrientes 1639. It looks to be set for a long run so don't miss the chance to see it if you are in the city.

I have seen the film version many times (it is one of my favourites) but this stage production is considerably more gay. Not just the MC (dressed in leather wasp and black stockings) but also the the four very queer waiters at the raunchy Kit Kat Club. In the song "Two Ladies" one of the "ladies" obviously is not. The story is different from the film (the stage production originally came first of course). The two principal characters are the same (apart from exchanging nationality) but also in the secondary characters are changed giving the show a rather more sombre ending.

The theater has been entirely renovated for this production and the rows of seats in the stalls have been replaced by tables and chairs as in a night club to try and make the audience feel more included. Not a bad idea but I thought the tables were too close together for comfort.

Overall however this is a production well worth seeing. If you know the story then a lack of Spanish wont detract from your enjoyment.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Another great show at Maipo Club

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:06:00 +0000

Last September I wrote enthusiastically about the show at Maipo Club at Teatro Maipo, Esmeralda 443. Recently my bf and I went to their newest presentation and if anything it is better than last time.

The Maipo Club is indeed a night club on the top floor of Teatro Maipo, the show this time is called "Konga - Callejon de los Espejos", and the show is an intimate cabaret provided by three top drag artists of Buenos Aires plus five very good-looking dancers (four male and one female). The show is fast-moving and never loses its good pace, the musical numbers, costumes, and dances are all top class, and the whole thing is thoroughly professional. In this show there is less dialogue than the previous occasion so a lack of Spanish isn't a hindrance to enjoyment.

The show is on from Wednesday to Sunday nights and the best seats are just $50 (US$16). I don't know of a better value show in BA; I recommend it and I doubt very much that anyone will be disappointed.

For more up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Private party revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:30:00 +0000

After a gap of about three months I made a return visit last Sunday night to one of the popular private parties organised by Grupo Los Fiesteros.

The format is exactly the same as when I reported on this last September 13th. This party was for men of all ages (there are other parties for under-35s) but I would say that of the 70 or so men that were there the vast majority were aged between 25 and 40. This time I heard more voices speaking English than I have heard previously (maybe they have read this bLOG). Also I discovered that the barman speak fair English.

In the early part of the evening most guys keep on their undies but by 9:30 pm most of these have come off and there was uninhibited action in all parts of the premises. Although free condoms and lube are available it seemed to me that they aren't always used. There is no excuse for ignorance nowadays so it beggars belief why people will jeopardise their health in this way. Obviously the message isn't always getting through.

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Free telephone help line for tourists in Buenos Aires

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 03:34:00 +0000

The number is 0800-999-2838.

The line offers assistance in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian and French and its objective consists of looking into accusations of commercial abuse, robberies, crimes, thefts, embezzlements, mix-ups and breaches of contracted services within the scope of the City of Buenos Aires (Capital Federal).

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

New gay bar-disco opens in Buenos Aires centre

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 20:05:00 +0000

Last night I went to the opening night of Eminence situated at Lavalle 918. The facilities there are:- on the first floor, pub and cruising bar; on the second floor, dark room and private rooms; on the third floor, chill-out space and room for private functions; on the fourth floor, disco. There is a lift to transport customers between floors. The building must be around sixty years old and the rooms have very high ceilings. The lift is a classic reminding one of a Paris hotel of the 1920s.

The place was full last night as one would expect on an opening night and the crowd were really a mixed bunch and included taxi-boys and transvestites. I will return in a month or so and review the place properly. However there were three aspects from last night which need attention. The air-conditioning was hopelessly inadequate given the warm night and large crowd; there was no bottled water at the bar; and the city's no-smoking regulations were being totally ignored.

Eminence is open from Monday to Thursday from 2 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Friday to Sunday it is open 24 hours. The web site is here

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Pet Shop Boys return to BsAs

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:19:00 +0000

Fans of Pet Shop Boys (including this blogger) will be delighted to hear that they will be appearing in Buenos Aires on 23rd March at La Rural. Information on ticket sales is not yet available but I will post on here when it is.

Later
Further to my earlier post, the venue has been changed to Luna Park and tickets for PSB are now on sale through EntradaPlus. I have to comment that I think the tickets are way over-priced.

Contramano re-opened

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:04:00 +0000

Contramano Closed
Following an inspection by city government officials a few days ago the oldest gay bar in Buenos Aires has been closed. This is very strange because all enclosed public spaces that re-opened after the Cromagñon tragedy have to comply with strict regulations before they are granted a certificate which Contramano undoubtedly has. Could be a case of homophobia. News here if and when it re-opens, or you can check the Contramano web site here.

Later
Further to my earlier post, Contramano has now re-opened as a bar-disco with a capacity for 220 people. I intend to check it out at an early opportunity.

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Gay World Cup 2007 - Mundial Gay 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 19:13:00 +0000

In case you missed the news, the Gay World Cup 2007 will be held in Buenos Aires between 23rd and 29th September. At present there is hardly any information on line in the english-speaking internet although there is more in the spanish-speaking part (do a search on "Mundial Gay"). If you are a gay football (soccer) fan you should put these dates in your diary.

In the meantime there is a petition against homophobia in football being organised by Gay.com in the UK. Please go to Kick Homophobia Out of Football and add your name.

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Angels - hottest disco in town?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:50:00 +0000

To be honest I am no great lover of discos (sign of advancing years I suppose) and so I am a thousand miles from being an expert but after visiting Angels (Viamonte 2168) last Saturday night I may be tempted to indulge more often.

Tell any Argentine that you plan to go there (or have been there) and the reaction may be a grimace, a curled lip, or a wrinkled nose. Its not really that Argentines are phobes, snobs and racists because mostly they are not but Angels attracts a crowd that is one rung lower down the social ladder than the regular gay discos and includes a proportion of immigrants like Peruvians, Bolivians and Paraguayans. Add to that several transvestites, some aging queens, and a lot of very cute young boys and you will realise that Angels isn't like any other popular gay disco in Buenos Aires. Additionally there is a not-very-dark area on the first floor which gets busy later in the night. For my money this disco has character that all the others lack.

I hadn't been there for quite a long time and the new smoking laws have made a big improvement. The ground level dance area (latin music) and the first floor bar are now smoke-free and only the second floor dance area (dance music) is for smokers. Also, unlike other discos I have been to here, the sound level isn't so loud it causes your skull to reverberate. I have heard complaints about the newly re-opened Amerika that it is too straight which you can't say about Angels which has to be 99% gay.

The one big problem with going to Angels is getting in. The club nominally opens at 1 a.m. but it doesn't start to get busy until around 2:30 a.m. This is because entry is pathetically slow with only one pay box open. If you arrive before 1 a.m. you will get in reasonably quickly but then have to sit around inside waiting for more people to enter. However if you arrive from 1:30 a.m. onward you need to join a long queue in the street which advances about 5m every ten minutes and you could be queuing for an hour or more.

The disco web site (in Spanish) is at http://www.discoangels.com.ar/ and the entrance charge on Saturday without a promotion ticket is $18 (includes three drinks - beer or soda).

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Amerika Re-opens!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:00:00 +0000

As you can't fail to notice if you go to the Amerika website the disco is finally re-opening on Friday 22nd December.

However only part of the first floor will be open and none of the second floor so reducing the total area from 2500 sq.m down to 1346 sq.m and thus reducing the capacity of the disco down to 1866 people. There is inevitably going to be a big demand so if you are planning on going I suggest you arrive early (for Buenos Aires, that is)!

Later
Note added January 2007: Amerika is now open at full capacity (includes the popular dark area).

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina see Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Gay Pride 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 12:45:00 +0000

In case you missed it you can read all about it at BA Gay Pride 2006 (web site in Spanish), and see pictures of the parade at BA Gay Pride Pictures

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires

Argentina transvestite/transexual organisation gets legal recognition.

noreply@blogger.com (Ian) — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 13:23:00 +0000

ALITT - Asociación de Lucha por la Identidad Travesti-Transexual / Fight for Transvestite-Transsexual Identity Association - has been granted legal recognition.
ALITT is a transvestite-transsexual organization that has been active in Argentina since 1997, devoted to promote and defend the human rights of transvestite and transsexual individuals in the country. Previous application for recognition had been denied but this decision has now been overturned.
You can read more about ALITT in English at the web site of IGLHRC and how the association came to be founded at the web site of ASTRAEA

For up-to-date information on gay places in Buenos Aires, Argentina visit Guide to Gay Buenos Aires