Guatemala, Central America

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.

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.

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 Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez, Guatemala.

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

Introduction This small ambitious country is one of Central America’s more prosperous nations but it doesn’t appear that way even to a casual visitor. Under the glaze of business and industry are serious human rights abuses, especially against LGBT people. Here is a small portrait of life when one is gay, poor, and disenfranchised. However, there is a bright spot in the form of the LGBT organization, OASIS. Also see: Gay Life in Antigua, Guatemala 2012 By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com To describe LGBT life in Guatemala is to describe a pretty parrot in a rusty cage, confined and fated to live a life of hindrance. Different Lives There are many ways to tell this story. I could begin in the high-rise luxury condos in Zone 10, south of the central Guatemala City where Hector and Ricardo live on the 15th floor in their polished three bedroom apartment with wide views

Two guest writers describe a realistic picture of oppressed life for lesbigays in this small country racked by humiliating poverty and insane revolution over the past generation. Yet small pockets of hope live on in lesbigay hearts and in a few bars in downtown Guatemala City. Also see: Gay Guatemala News & Reports 1996 to present (1) In Guatemala, Bashing Is Just the Beginning By Andrew Reding June 1999 (page updated June 2007) From The Dawn of Gay Rights ( http://www.americas.org/News/Features/199906_Gay_Rights/index.asp) On October 22, 1997, well-known drag queen Geraldo Estupinian (“Stacy”) was found badly beaten and near death in a roadside ditch outside Guatemala City. He died shortly thereafter. Six days later, unidentified assailants shot to death Julio Alfredo (“Freddy”) de la Roca Toledo, a dancer and choreographer, in front of his house. Without corroborating evidence, the National Civilian Police (PNC) attributed the killing to a band of carjackers. On