Introduction Antigua, Guatemala is more like an outdoor museum than a living city, overloaded with colonial Spanish architecture, yellow-ochre-blue walls, tiny specialty shops full of artwork, paintings and local jewelry, touristic but charming cafes serving quiche or dark chocolate drinks and dozens of old church ruins–and functioning ones as well–rough cobblestone roads constantly under repair, high-end and low-end hotels. Woven into the charm is a small gay community of friends. By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com February 2012 A Modest Gay Scene This former capital city is clearly a destination place for locals and foreigners, for craftsmen, laborers, big spending visitors and Mayan vendors. At the core is Central Park with its dribbling mermaid fountain surrounded by palatial arcaded buildings, a downsized wedding-cake cathedral and horse-drawn carriage taxis. The whole place looks like a movie set for an Ivory-Merchant film of genteel by-gone Latin American life. Thousands of tourists come and go

Antigua, Guatemala is more like an outdoor museum than a living city, overloaded with colonial Spanish architecture, yellow-ochre-blue walls, tiny specialty shops full of artwork, paintings and local jewelry, touristic but charming cafes serving quiche or dark chocolate drinks and dozens of old church ruins–and functioning ones as well–rough cobblestone roads constantly under repair, high-end and low-end hotels. It is clearly a destination place for locals and foreigners, for craftsmen, laborers, big spending visitors and Mayan vendors. At the core is Central Park with its dribbling mermaid fountain surrounded by palatial arcaded buildings, a downsized wedding-cake cathedral and horse-drawn carriage taxis. The whole place looks like a movie set for an Ivory-Merchant film of genteel by-gone Latin American life.   Posted Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez, Guatemala.

By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com December 1, 2011 A November 16, 2011 Guardian newspaper report announced a new challenge in Belize to its anti-gay laws. The legal suit is the first contest by a new human rights organization that intends to overturn all post-UK former colonies that have laws criminalizing homosexuality. “The Human Dignity Trust (HDT), which launched its campaign in London on Thursday, is targeting the 80-odd states where consensual sexual activity between adults of the same gender is outlawed. More than half are Commonwealth countries which inherited their regulations from British colonial rule. In some like Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon and Ghana the laws are seen by some as justification for violent attacks on gay and lesbian people.” (photo right: for tourists Belize is a paradise; for gays it is less than that.) Not surprising, Belize’s Anglican, evangelical, and Catholic ‘spiritual leaders’ have united to oppose the effort. They will

English version of this story Intro: El pequeño país de El Salvador se ha visto en vuelto en problemas políticos, económicos y sociales como otras naciones Centroamericanas. Pero durante los últimos 15 años, no se dejo intimidar por las amenazas de los hackers y de los predicadores, la única organización LGBT (Lesbianas, gayes, bisexuales Y transgénico) en El Salvador, Entre Amigos (Among Friends), ha soportado con determinación y compasión gracias a la ayuda de los benefactores tales como Elton John. Hoy entre amigos es un faro de luz para las almas de muchos gayes. En esta cultura homofóbica. Pero la vida gay también puede sentirse bien como lo declarado por un joven amante llamado Ricky. Vea además: El Salvador News and Reports 2005 para presentar
 Por Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com   Parte 1: La ciudad La capital de El Salvador es la ciudad de San Salvador. La plaza central, Plaza Barrios,

Intro: Costa Rica hace honor a su reputación como un destino gay con su variedad de vacaciones nocturnas, playas extensas y montañas accidentadas.  Pero lo supera con solo poner una etiqueta por ser la defensora mas determinada de los derechos humanos en Centro América con muchas organizaciones de derechos rechazando las fuerzas desalentadoras de machismo y homofobia. Por Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com March 2010 Vea además Gay Costa Rica News and Reports El centro de San José pueda ser que no sea la cuidad más atrayente visualmente en Centro América comparada con la Antigua Guatemala colonial, pero es un centro urbano interesante que va y viene con gran energía, comercio y turismo moderado. El distrito central de negocios es duro con peatones en el día, comerciantes, estudiantes, oficinistas, niños en patinetas, familias y visitantes con cámaras. Hicimos un viaje con calma a pie por las grandes zonas, teatro nacional, corte suprema,

                Introduccion: Nicaragua es un país escénico de lagos y montañas con una variedad de grupos sociales y étnicos, incluyendo una población considerable  LGBT (Lesbianas, gayes, bisexuales  y transgénero). Desgraciadamente muchos no han salido del closet ya que el machismo o la cultura católica tiene una mayor influencia en los estilos de vida sexual.  Pero sorprendentemente hay varias organizaciones de derechos humanos audaces y enérgicas que no tienen temor, especialmente desde que la homosexualidad fue despenalizada en el 2008 y una defensora del pueblo LGBT (lesbianas, gayes, bisexuales y transgénico) especial fue nombrada por el gobierno. (English version) Vea además Noticias Nicaragua gay y los informes Por Richard Ammon 
GlobalGayz.com Nicaragua está lleno de aventuras cuando se llega en bus al norte de Costa Rica a lo largo de la carretera Pan-Americana. A tan solo pocas millas dentro del territorio la vista más espectacular alcanza por todo el lago de

Central American LGBT (gay) organizations distribute an impressive amount of information ads, brochures and booklets about HIV care and prevention, homophobia, coming out, condom promotion and gay/human rights. Pictured here are a few of these advisories.

Central American LGBT (gay) organizations distribute an impressive amount of information ads, brochures and booklets about HIV care and prevention, homophobia, coming out, condom promotion and gay/human rights. Pictured here are a few of these advisories.

Central American LGBT (gay) organizations distribute an impressive amount of information ads, brochures and booklets about HIV care and prevention, homophobia, coming out, condom promotion and gay/human rights. Pictured here are a few of these advisories.

Central American LGBT (gay) organizations distribute an impressive amount of information ads, brochures and booklets about HIV care and prevention, homophobia, coming out, condom promotion and gay/human rights. Pictured here are a few of these advisories.

Central American LGBT (gay) organizations distribute an impressive amount of information ads, brochures and booklets about HIV care and prevention, homophobia, coming out, condom promotion and gay/human rights. Pictured here are a few of these advisories.

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in western Honduras. It was the Mayan capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region. Copán had an occupational history that spanned more than two thousand years, from the Early Preclassic period right through to the Postclassic. The city developed a distinctive sculptural style within the tradition of the lowland Maya, perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city’s rulers. A significant portion of the eastern side of the acropolis has been eroded away by the Copán River, although the river has since been diverted in order to protect the site from further damage.

Copan Ruinas town is a charming quiet place with a dozen streets lined with shops and hotels to accommodate a modest tourist trade on their way to famous Copan Ruins, which are about 1 km away. Colorful buildings, cobblestone sreets and friendly faces; there are numerous entertainments  in addition to the ruins including a large Mayan archeological museum, waterfall trek, butterfly house, ancient football display, language courses and ecology tours and rafting among others. The population is about six thousand.

San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, the city is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation. Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San José is one of the youngest capital cities in Latin America by year of conception, though it was not named capital until 1823.[1] Today it is a modern city with bustling commerce, brisk expressions of art and architecture, and spurred by the country’s improved tourism industry, it is a significant destination and stopover for foreign visitors. The population of San José Canton is 365,799. There is a quiet but thriving gay community here with several hotels, bars and clubs.

Ometepe is the name of two small connected islands in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. These islands were formed by the peaks of two volcanoes and connected by a short isthmus. This area is part of the Greater Nicoya subregion, one of the richest archaeological zones in Central America. Oval in shape, with an area of 3,149 square miles (8,157 square km), the lake is 110 miles (177 km) in length and has an average width of 36 miles (58 km). It is about 60 feet (18 metres) deep in the centre, and its waters reach a depth of 200 feet (60 metres) to the southeast of its largest island.

Playa del Coco Costa Rica is one of the most easily accessible beaches in Guanacaste, located 22 miles west from Liberia, with exceptionally good street connections. This area consists of a stunning horseshoe-shaped bay with very steep hills and cliffs. Its main attractions are the tourist facilities and the sun, which shines longer and more brightly here than anywhere else in Costa Rica. Other attractions are the nearby beaches of Hermosa, Ocotal and Panamá. The Playas de Coco Beach is easy accessible from Liberia.

Arenal Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Arenal, is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures at least 1,633 metres (5,358 ft). It is conically shaped with a crater spanning 140 metres (460 ft). Arenal is geologically considered a young volcano and the age is estimated to be less than 7,000 years. Lake Arenal is an artificial lake in Costa Rica, located in the northern highlands of the country. It was enlarged to its present size as a part of a 1979 hydroelectric project by the Costa Rican government to provide electricity to the country. The lake is approximately 30 km long and almost 5 km at its widest point, making it the largest lake in Costa Rica at 85-square-kilometre (33 sq mi). It’s depth varies

Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. It is about a four-hour drive up into the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. It is considered a major tourist destination in Costa Rica, primarily visited by ecotourists drawn by the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde and numerous other reserves. The area is also frequented by researchers and naturalists who study mountain and tropical biodiversity In Monteverde Costa Rica rain forest are found more than 100 species of mammals including 5 species of cats, over 400 species of birds including 30 kinds of hummingbirds, tens of thousands of insect species (over 5000 species of moths) and 2,500 species of plants (420 kinds of orchids). The area is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics.  

Lake Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) is a large endorheic lake (one that does not flow to the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. While Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest lake in Central America, its bottom has not been completely sounded. Estimates of its maximum depth range up to 340 meters. The lake is shaped by deep escarpments which surround it and by three volcanos on its southern flank. Lake Atitlan is further characterized by towns and villages of the Maya people. Lake Atitlán is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west-northwest of Antigua.

Flores is a town in Petén, Guatemala. The town proper is an island on Lago Petén Itzá, connected to land by a causeway, on the other side of which lie the twin towns Santa Elena and San Benito. All three are often referred to as Flores. It is a quiet and peaceful place, and probably one of the safest places in the sometimes wild north. Santa Elena and San Benito require a little more caution, but offer a more authentic experience of a Guatemalan town, complete with traffic, litter and street food. Walking is the most common way to get around, and circling the whole island takes about 15 minutes.

Granada is a department in western Nicaragua and also the department’s seat. With an estimated population of 110,326 (2003), it is Nicaragua’s fourth most populous city and capital of the Granada Department. Granada is historically one of Nicaragua’s most important cities both economically and politically. It is situated on the northwestern shore of Lake Nicaragua. It was founded by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba on December 8, 1524. It has a rich colonial heritage, seen in its architecture and layout.

Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality  by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in 1852. Prior to its inception as the capital city, the title had alternated between the cities of León and Granada. The city has a population of roughly 1,800,000, composed predominantly of mestizos and whites. Managua is the second most populous city in Central America after Guatemala City. In Managua there are four leading LGBT (gay) groups. Together they make up central alliance is the Strategic Group for Sexual Diversity Rights (GEDDS): -Sexual Diversity Initiative for Human Rights (IDSDH); -Grupo Safo (Lesbian group); -Centre for International Studies (CEI); -Nicaraguan Association of Transsexuals (ANIT) Read the story .

Antigua is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1773, the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of the town, which led to the third change in location for the city. The Spanish Crown ordered (1776) the removal of the capital to a safer location, the Valley of the Shrine, where Guatemala City, the modern capital of Guatemala, now stands. Posted .

Tegucigalpa (population 1.25 million) is the capital city of Honduras and is also the country’s largest city. The defining event in recent Honduran history, and that of Tegucigalpa also, is Hurricane Mitch, which devastated the country in 1998. Mitch reportedly set the country back 50 years. Tegus is still recovering from the massive flooding of the river, and equally massive landslides, both triggered by the rampant deforestation of the hills surrounding the city. Tegucigalpa is divided presently into "barrios" and "colonias". The latter represent relatively recent 20th-century middle class residential suburbs that are continuously spreading while the former are old inner-city neighborhoods. Most of the city’s outskirts are "barrios marginales", shantytowns that house the poorest elements of Honduran society. The marked difference between social classes in Honduras is evident in Tegucigalpa with its largely improvised growth. Tegucigalpa home to a bustling community of LGBT groups and activists, seen here in

Guatemala City (population 942,348; Metro area 2,945,080) is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic. The city also functions as the main port of entry into the country, with an international airport and most major highways originating or leading to the city. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops, the city has a wide variety of art galleries, theaters, sports venues and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and continually offers an increasing amount of cultural activities. Guatemala City offers all the modern amenities along with important historic sites. The city continues to be a pole for the attraction of immigrants from the country’s rural areas as well as foreign immigrants. The main gay organization in Guatemala is Oasis (Organización de Apoyo a una Sexualidad Integral frente al SIDA).  Under the leadership of Jorge Lopez,  OASIS offers HIV-testing done on premises, runs