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Last week, on Fri., June 24th, I celebrated the marriage of two friends. As we came together in celebration, I kept my eyes glued to my phone screen.
Just around 11 pm, as the night drew to an end, the New York State Legislature passed a bill legalizing same sex marriage. I rose a glass, and as I took part in toasting to a ‘traditional’ marriage, my heart rejoiced for the scores of gay New Yorkers who would now have the choice to celebrate their union.
So what’s it like in El Alto? How do we rate in comparison to the rest of our Manhattan island brothers – are we as open, welcoming, and accepting, or less so? It’s no Chelsea, and there is only one Greenwhich Village, but El Alto has pride, gay pride, and in recent years signs of it have flourished in the neighborhood scene.
I must, however, address the cultural block some of the older generations may have. The traditional, conservative bent in Latino culture, as aided by the Church, has sometimes proven intolerant of gay rights. But this same culture, throughout Latin America and the States, has also founded some of the most vocal and visible gay rights movements. Argentina passed same sex marriage a while back; Mexico boasts an incredible gay rights network. And locally, a younger generation has made for change with the times.
For some of us, looking past people’s sexual preference comes naturally. Others are still learning. They’re learning that being gay is not a choice, it’s just being the way you and me are, we just are.
Recently a gay friend of mine, a resident of the neighborhood, brought up a very good point. He told me that he believes acceptance comes from “normalcy,” from living, working, playing beside each other. In El Alto, with the boom of bars and restaurants that are catering to young, local professionals, gay or straight, side by side, it seems like we’re on the right path.
Sharing a meal, perhaps a cocktail in a friendly, welcoming and open atmosphere sets the stage for an attitudinal shift where socializing and feeling welcome in your own backyard becomes the “norm.”
That it will take much more than having two gay bars in the neighborhood goes without saying.
But keep in mind the modern gay civil rights movement had its start at a bar, The Stonewall Inn, which still stands today, over three decades ago.
The gay bar is a haven, a place where some who may not feel accepted and welcome in a neighborhood that is often critical of them, can feel accepted. They can just be.
I decided to go on a tour of gay nightlife in El Alto.
Complete with all the crowded dancing, music, hot fashion, and rhinestones that a Friday night often brings, Le Boy, the gay nightclub on Dyckman Street was my first stop. It opened a few years ago to the surprise of many, but was also welcomed by residents from El Alto, as well as the nearby Bronx and Harlem.
At Le Boy, the music is loud, the laser lights flicker, and as shirtless bartenders serve stiff drinks, there is only enough room to dance in place and closely with yout partner. It’s a happy party where both men and women, gay and straight, join together for a night of non-stop dancing.
Next stop, No Parking on Broadway near W. 177th Street.
If “more bar, less club” is your preference, No Parking won’t disappoint. Round glass bar in the middle, the party gathers around the bartenders and the DJ in a dance that welcomes everyone. The drinks flow, the crowd gathers into small groups to socialize, flirt, and, yes, dance. There is a feeling of freedom, that you can look and behave as pleases you. There’s an almost palpable sense of acceptance among the Latino, café con leche-skinned men for whom No Parking is a haven.
Apt. 78 is now also hosting gay nights on Mondays. Set against the smooth spins of the DJ and the endless sangria, the mood is much more laid back.
Come in your heels, or your sneakers, either way it’s home en el Alto.
Whether you’re gay, straight, if you like both or you don’t know yet, whatever identity you wish to assume or live, El Alto wants to welcome you. We have work ahead of us, that’s not a question. But El Alto has always been willing to work, welcoming those who are different, same, and unique.
We all just are.
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