What’s it like: The duo’s debut EP features pop songs sticky with synths and vulnerable lyrics revealing a longing to be loved.
Standouts: Overdressed, Body Wonder, Love Story Wa Totsuzenni
Lyrics for your Instagram captions:
“Fell in love and it comes with a price All your loving, it distracts me”
– Overdressed
“You leave me with a smile on your face You’re dressed up for me Always talking me to stay” – Overdressed
“Feeling winter in my summer skin”
– Dreamer
Where you’re most likely to hear it: NPR, on the soundtrack of an art house film, Urban Outfitters
Why you should listen to it: It’s pure and poetic pop music with a queer sensibility. While the EP’s themes reflect a coming-of-age moment, everyone can surely connect with the reflections on queer romance from longing to lust.
Gays & Confused is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Mexico City has always held a special allure to me, I’ve dreamed of visiting ever since I was a kid, seeing it as the backdrop of so many telenovelas I watched with my family. It seemed so glamorous and exciting. Lucky for me, CDMX is the perfect weekend trip. So close at a quick 90 minute flight from Austin and affordable, a 3 night trip won’t make too much of a dent in your wallet. From its bustling streets to its rich cultural tapestry, Mexico City is an exciting mix of glam and grit. Here’s everything you need to know to have a gay old time.
Where to Stay
All the cool kids are staying in La Condesa, but during my visits I’ve also stayed in Roma Norte, Roma Sur, and Hipódromo. All offer easy access to trendy restaurants, bars, and boutiques as well as quick trips to many of the city’s iconic sites and museums.
Search for LGBTQ+ rentals in Mexico City on misterb&b.
Where to Eat
Veguisima – During one of my visits to the city, I stumbled upon this tiny spot and was pleasantly surprised. I was halfway through my tostada before I realized everything on the menu was vegan.
Lalo – If you’ve done any research, Lalo is already on your list of restaurants. It’s super trendy and full of Americans. Their Instagram-worthy mural doesn’t hurt either. Expect a wait since most seating is at a long communal table or small bistro tables along the wall.
Azul Historico – This restaurant is all outdoor in a cool courtyard surrounded by shops. The menu features cuisine from Veracruz and is the perfect lunch spot if you’re out in the downtown area.
Huset – This trendy spot in Roma serves up creative and tasty takes on rustic Mexican fare. The dining room is a beautiful enclosed patio with gravel flooring and long wooden tables with benches that offers the illusion of being in the Mexican countryside.
Fonda Margarita – One of my absolute favorite breakfasts is at this unassuming cafe. Many menu items can sell out, so be prepared to arrive very early to avoid a line. I highly recommend the chicharrón en salsa verde and the black beans with scrambled eggs.
Bravo Loncheria – I’ve had plenty of amazing meals in Mexico but this was by far my favorite. When my chorizo chicken sandwich arrived, I was confused about how to eat it without utensils. It was so messy with chorizo spilling out. The server pointed to a box of plastic gloves on the table. It made for an adventurous meal. I also fell in love with the restaurant’s soundtrack of classic American hits covered in Spanish.
Where to Drink
Hanky Panky Bar – Hanky Panky Bar is definitely one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. This is a true speakeasy with a secret location. To get in, make a reservation by messaging the bar on Facebook. They’ll give you some general location information and it’s up to you to find the exact spot. #NoSpoilers but we exited the bar through a fridge.
La Nuclear – This is a boisterous dive bar that serves pulque. Pulque is a creamy alcoholic drink made from the maguey plant and comes in a few different flavors. We tried piñon and piña colada. Getting in might be a squeeze, but you should definitely stop in to try one.
Pulqueria los Insurgentes – Another spot for pulque that is always on my list when I arrive in la ciudad. This multilevel dive bar has several rooms to fit your vibe, a dance floor on the first level, more intimate seating options on the other levels, and a cozy terrace.
Cabaretito Fusion – While there are plenty of gay bars in Mexico City, this cumbia spot has a special place in my heart. I grew up dancing cumbia and seeing the joy of gay couples on the dance floor is a dream to me. There are two main rooms here, the smaller front room plays cumbia while the larger backroom plays top 40 hits. If you want to fit in, most people are drinking 40s of Indio or micheladas in a large styrofoam cup dressed with dripping chamoy. Entrance is 70 pesos and comes with one beer ticket.
Tom’s Leather Bar – I hope it’s no secret that I love goth. Tom’s was described on many blogs as actually a gay goth bar and not your typical leather bar. You can’t even imagine how much this thrilled me. I built a whole night of bar hopping around getting to Tom’s at what I estimated would be the busiest. Little did I know, it’s just a leather bar. Like really a leather bar. About 75% of the space is dark room. Entry is 185 pesos and comes with 2 drink tickets.
Kinky Bar – Before you call it a night, you’ll want to hit up one last dance club. Kinky Bar is definitely more like your typical gay bar and probably my favorite. There are two floors with the first being split between karaoke rooms and a dance floor with more traditional Mexican music. The second floor plays standard dance music and top 40 hits. Oh, and expect some of the most beautiful bartenders you’ve ever seen. Entry is 60 pesos but sadly comes with no drinks.
What to See
Historical Sites – El Palacio Nacional, Templo Mayor, Zocalo, Catedral Metropolitana – These sites are all essentially on the same block. I highly recommend Templo Mayor and the palace. Get there as early as you can. During our visit, we arrived before noon and had no problem getting in but leaving was like being in a herd of cattle.
Xochimilco Gondolas – Exploring the floating gardens of Xochimilco on a colorful gondola makes for an exciting afternoon. Grab a case of cerveza and snacks for a fun afternoon cruising the canals. Be prepared to negotiate for your boat’s price. While not very expensive, I later discovered that the price our group paid per person was the price others paid for the entire boat.
Teotihuacan – If your schedule allows, take a nice day trip to climb some pyramids. You can take the subway to the Autobuses del Norte station and be there in about an hour. It’s pretty fun and you can see all of the pyramids plus the museum in about 3 hours. For an even more impressive experience, arrive for an early morning visit to see hot air balloons floating overhead.
Museo Jumex – There are so many museums in Mexico City that it’s impossible to see them all in one weekend. We stopped into the Jumex collection because it’s slightly on the smaller side and was easy to squeeze into our day.
Biblioteca Vasconcelos – This library is one of the most Instagrammable places I’ve ever been. We popped in for a quick walk around and took a few photos but you might like to wander upstairs and read for a bit.
Chapultepec Castle – In the city’s Chapultepec Park, you’ll find the gorgeous Chapultepec Castle, one of North America’s only royal palaces that served as a monarch’s residence. Formerly the home of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, the castle became the residence of the president until 1934, eventually becoming a museum in 1939. Prepare for plenty of uphill walking and incredible views of the city.
Museo Frida Kahlo – Frida’s life and work has always been so inspiring to me and visiting la casa azul is truly an immersive experience. Be sure to book your tickets in advance, while you may be able to purchase tickets in person, they’re typically sold out.
I’m always reluctant to bid adiós to Mexico City but every trip offers even more planning ideas for my next escape. From the trendy spots to historic sights, this city has captured my heart in so many ways. Let me know what’s on your itinerary for CDMX!
There I was, a first grader in Eagle Pass, Texas. Riding in my dad’s pick up truck, living dangerously without the safety of a seatbelt, listening to his soundtrack of Tejano hits. Grupo Mazz. La Mafia. And my favorite, the reigning queen of cumbia, Selena y los Dinos. At this age, I obviously had no concept of the latest trends but Ven Conmigo was my everything. My number one track was No Quiero Saber with its dance-pop vibes, a departure from the polkas and cumbias on the rest of the album. “No quiero saber de mas problemas ya.” “Play the song where she says ‘ja’!” I would demand, impersonating the hard j sound she sang on the track. It amused me since I pronounced the word with a y, as it’s spelled.
Not growing up fully bilingual, I was often out of place in my hometown where Spanish was the dominant language. And in my own home, we listened to Spanish language music and watched Spanish language TV. My Spanish was terrible and my vocabulary was so minimal, it often felt like these pop cultural treasures were not my own. Because I couldn’t understand, I often wanted to listen to anything other than Tejano or cumbia. Selena y los Dinos was the sole exception.
This is how my identity split in two. A concept every queer person comes to know too well. My Mexican-self watched telenovelas, listened to cumbia, and ate tacos. My American-self dominated my conversation and my thinking. And here was Selena, casually dropping contemporary English language pop tracks on traditional Spanish language LPs. A female icon in a male-dominated genre. Singing in Spanish when she mostly spoke English. A fellow Texan piecing together her Mexican and American identities. And that’s how the universe introduced me to my very first diva.
¿Tú que creías, tú que creías?
Que te ibas a encontrar
Un amor mejor que el mío
When I heard that my parents were going to the Selena dance, I was ecstatic. For the uninitiated, the Tejano scene doesn’t do concerts. They do dances. You don’t go to a theater to sit and watch a show. You go to a dance hall or nightclub to baila sin parar while the band performs. Cumbias are danced in a circle, almost in a follow the leader formation. It’s a beautiful experience that seems to be missing from most music scenes, especially in the world of celebrity DJs where too often the crowd idly watches a barely-there performance rather than experiencing the music.
You can guess that a smoky dance hall is clearly no place for a child. And despite my pleading, my parents wouldn’t entertain the idea of me coming to the Selena dance. I refused to back down from my demands. My diva was on my turf and I deserved to go. I begged. I pleaded. I threw my own things in anger. I had already picked out my outfit. Dark wranglers, my best western shirt, and cowboy boots. My dad could buy me a new cowboy hat in Mexico, anything for Selenas.
Spoiler alert: I spent the night at my grandparents’ house watching black and white Disney films and eating delivery pizza until I passed out. The next morning my mom gifted me a button with a picture of the Entre Mi Mundo album cover. At the end of the night, my parents were standing at the front of the crowd when Selena, who had been wearing a denim jacket with a few pieces of flare, took off the pin from her jacket and threw it into the crowd. My mom reached out and caught it. I cherished that pin for my entire childhood. Never questioning my mom’s version of events and relaying it every chance I had. Because it happened. Just. Like. That.
Y es todo lo que me queda de tu amor
Solo fotos y recuerdos
By the time Amor Prohibido was released, Selena mania was everywhere. Bidi Bidi Bom Bom was played to death and I’m not always sure I can listen to it to this day. Selena y los Dinos had become the soundtrack of every backyard BBQ and school dance. I had my own copy of Amor Prohibido on cassette tape and played it over and over again on my walkman. Walking through the playground, I imagined myself in a white ruffled shirt, leather jacket, and hoop earrings. What? I was a budding homosexual and this was my dream.
It was the middle of the afternoon when our school’s secretary burst into our classroom. She was hysterical and sobbing incoherently. “They killed Selena!” she ran down the hallway to the next room to make the announcement. We looked around at each other in confusion. “What?” After our lesson was over, we were allowed to listen to the radio. Selena Quintanilla Perez had died.
I’d never lost someone I cared so much for in such a violent way. But Selena was a celebrity and just an image in photos and a voice on cassettes. It was a numbing feeling that I didn’t understand. Our entire community was at a loss. My sister and I collected every memento to mark the occasion. The commemorative issue of People magazine. The rapidly published biographies. The t-shirts memorializing la reina. We made a pilgrimage to the Selena boutique in San Antonio and bought baseball caps with Selena’s logo. I took in all things Selena. Spending my afternoons reading the countless articles written about her life and impact. As I learned that Selena herself spoke very little Spanish, I felt an even deeper connection to the diva.
To this day there’s a story from a young fan that I carry with me as her experience seemed to reflect mine so well. In memorializing Selena, she said that Selena gave her pride in her culture. Before discovering Selena’s music, she felt ashamed of speaking Spanish and being Mexican. It was Selena and her music that helped her appreciate her own culture.
Even though I grew up in a community that just so happens to be split by an international border, that is overwhelmingly Mexican, a sense of self-shame still exists. To live on the American side meant you were better than your neighbors. Getting into the identity crisis of being culturally and physically Mexican while trying to feel superior to the Mexican citizen is a topic for another day but Selena brought Mexican-American culture to the brink of the mainstream. Unapologetically straddling two worlds in cowboy boots and a bustier while modernizing traditional Tejano music with 90s dance pop. Never had I felt so allowed to be so Mexican in America. Yes, you can have two cultures.
Como la flor
Con tanto amor
Me diste tú
Se marchitó
The filming of the Selena movie was so hotly anticipated in south Texas. We counted down the days until its release. Finally, not only would our queen be given the silver screen treatment she deserved, but the world would know her just as we had. For me, the movie itself exists as its own marker in my personal history. Aside from the story, I’m deeply attached to the rural south Texas landscape and cultural spaces of my home that are etched in cinematic glory for the outside world.
Edward James Olmos lamenting that Mexican-Americans have to work twice as hard. To be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans. Never had someone vocalized my own frustrations so perfectly. A sentiment that rings true to this day. “Me siento muy…excited!” and “Anything for Selenas!” are deeply embedded into pop culture at a time when her music has come back in vogue and numerous artists have paid their homage.
Over the years, many other divas have entered my life and made their mark, but never again would I have an icon like Selena. Representation can truly affect the place you see for yourself in the world. Had Selena’s foray into the mainstream pop world been realized, I can’t help but wonder the deeper implications for Mexican-Americans and other Latinx groups. To have a pop culture icon that validates your bi-cultural experience and your background, to prove that your existence isn’t exotic. That yes, you can speak two languages, embrace multiple customs, and be celebrated for it. And more importantly for me, you can be Mexican and American and unapologetically Texan.
It’s become my tradition to take a New Year’s Trip with friends, preferably something relaxed so we have time to bond and reconnect. I’ve been to New Orleans before and done plenty of tourist things, so it seemed like a great option for a mix of fun and relaxation. This time around, I also did very little planning and let my friend Alex call the shots.
Where to Stay
In my previous visit, I’d spent nearly my entire trip in the French Quarter. I knew I wanted to explore more of the city and stay a good distance from that scene. We chose to rent an adorable house in the Lower Garden District. This area is a short distance to plenty of attractions but quiet enough for relaxing at home. While it was pretty chilly during our visit, we did brave the cold a few times to walk to the French Quarter.
Eats
I’m gonna be honest, this trip was mostly planned around eating. We booked reservations at several places and arrived armed with lists of New Orleans’ best.
My first New Orleans meal was lunch at Shaya. Order some champagne and share plates of tahini, hummus, and of course brussels.
For New Year’s Eve, we wanted to celebrate in a big way by getting dinner at the type of restaurant we wouldn’t normally go to. We chose Emeril’s Delmonico, which has a much older sensibility of class and elegance. We also got some of the best service I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It was fancy, y’all.
Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar is a must for indulgent Cajun sandwiches. You should know they’re enormous. The diner also gets pretty crowded, so you’ll have to take a number and wait a while. Luckily, their bar is stocked with awesome craft beers.
Butcher served up some meaty bbq sandwiches, which hit the spot on a cold day. Plus, I needed something to soak up the booze. Done and done.
My favorite meal of the trip was actually our last dinner at Coquette. You can expect some amazing modern Southern food and I highly recommend getting a bottle of Southern Belle Syrah for your meal.
Drinks
One thing about New Orleans that blows my mind is the number of gay bars in a city this size. And of course I wanted to go to all of them and experience every scene in our community. We spent the better part of our NYE at Oz, which is the obvious and more traditional gay club. 700 Club is a more relaxed but still lively bar and was one of my favorite spots. CornerPocket is an amusing cross between a divey pub and a strip club. Mag’s 940 hosts music and variety shows but was pretty slow the night we stopped in. The bartender was super friendly and gave us some popcorn. I’m not sure if that’s a regular thing but I like to think it was special to us. We also checked out one of New Orleans’ more debaucherous venues, Phoenix Bar. I like to say nothing shocks me, but the dark room upstairs literally kept me wide eyed all night. It’s a part of gay culture I’m glad to see still exists and stays away from the mainstream.
Shop
Aside from stuffing my face, I spent quite a bit of money at various shops around town.
Zéle Market is a multivendor indoor marketplace. I picked up some amazing candles by Mad Darling and I’m completely obsessed with them. But I really wish I’d picked up some furniture, too.
Defend New Orleans has plenty of edgy NOLA inspired wares and provisions. Grab one of their graphic tees for a subtle souvenir of your visit. The Join DNO tee was my favorite. Get yourself one and let’s be twins.
While wandering around Frenchmen Street, stumble into Frenchmen Art Market for an interesting mix of arts and crafts.
Sights
There are plenty of museums and tourist sights to see, but this trip I decided to focus less on those.
No matter where I go, I definitely want to see good art. New Orleans Museum of Art made for an inspiring afternoon. Their floor featuring Mesoamerican and other native art was especially intriguing.
I have a soft spot for goth, but New Orleans cemeteries are really beautiful and definitely a must if you’re visiting town.
I had so much fun in New Orleans and I’ll hopefully be taking some more weekend trips there in the future.
