Couples LGBTI in Mexico still face discrimination when they look for venues or vendors for their weddings due to lack of culture of respect and tolerance even though the Supreme Court approved these unions in the country almost 10 years ago.

As part of LGBTI Pride Day this Friday, Castulo Rodríguez and Oscar de la Rocha told EFE that they were getting married in 2022. De la Rocha thought the wedding might take place on the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, but was disappointed when Hotel their denied service because you are gay.

“I called the hotel and when they found out it was (a wedding) from the (LGBTI) community, they said no and they didn’t even want to let me in the hotel and then we didn’t want to do it in Vallarta anymore,” De Rocha said.

The couple were looking for a man who was part of community to organize their wedding, and thus they were able to hold an event where the judge and the military personnel treated them with respect.

“In our case, I told them twice: I don’t want a colored flag (out of pride) back because yes (they assume) there will be a drag show or there will be this and no. We set this benchmark, and at that moment they seemed to say: we will listen to what they want,” Rodriguez assured.

The National Study on Sexual and Gender Diversity, conducted in 2021 by the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI), found that in Mexico, some five million of people identify yourself as LGBTIthat is, one in 20 people identifies with a different orientation or gender identity.

Of the just over half a million marriages registered nationwide in 2022, 5829 were between people of the same sexAccording to Inegi.

Labels and violence

Like them, many other couples in society suffer from companies refusing service, dealing with employees who label them according to gender stereotypes or subtle violence.

Juan Carlos Betancourt and Rigo Longoria told EFE that they got married in 2013, when equal marriage had just been approved locally in Mexico City.

When looking for a wedding venue They were rejected by several hotels. and venues for events, or they were told it had to be in a secluded location.

“They told us: we can’t marry people of the same sex here or yeah, I’m going to make the event a little more private, but we knew that the privacy issue had more to do with “we don’t want them to see this type of wedding at my ‘venue’ (venue) or at my hotel . It’s the same with suppliers, they’re scared,” Longoria said.

Betancourt and Longoria acknowledged progress in companies catering to these types of weddings, but noted that more needs to be done. discrimination And violence from many suppliers.

They told a joke about some friends who walked into the room for their first dance as husband and wife, but when the group realized they were a gay couple, they turned off the music, refused to offer the agreed-upon service, and left the venue.

New services for LGBTI couples

To create the platform, the couple used their experience and the experience of others they knew.”Strange weddings MX‘, so that the LGBTI community can find responsive and respectful services.

Also in recent years they have capable To Hotels And companies representatives of the Mexican wedding sector to give them advice on egalitarian marriages.