Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995 01:24:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rex Wockner <rwockner@netcom.com>

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     * Copyright (c) 1995 Rex Wockner and affiliates. *
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ACCENT MARKS: e in Mexico, e in Que, i in Garcia, e in Jose, o in
Revolucion. ALSO: upside-down question mark before the Y in the
organizational name Grupo Y Que?
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    FIRST TIJUANA PRIDE PARADE COMES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH
                     by Rex Wockner

TIJUANA, Mexico -- Tijuana's first Gay Pride March was a complete
success, surprised organizers declared at the parade's end
Saturday, June 17.

	Led by a bevy of perfectly behaved Tijuana police officers
on motorcycles, 85 boisterous gays and lesbians marched the
length of Tijuana's busiest street, Avenida Revolucion, at the
most-crowded time of the week, Saturday evening.

	Hundreds of onlookers surrounded the marchers during the
parade line-up and hundreds more watched the parade's progress.
Reaction fell within a narrow range that included staring,
smiling, giggling, waving, applauding, whistling, and hooting and
hollering. There were no anti-gay incidents save for one passing
car whose occupants shouted (translated literally), "Sons of
fucked mothers" and "Fag bastards."

	In addition to the large main banner -- "From Silence To
Celebration For The Human Rights Of Gays And Lesbians," -- and a
big arch of rainbow-colored balloons, marchers carried signs
proclaiming such things as, "I'm a fag" and "I'm a lesbian
because I feel like it."

	Among the marchers were visitors from Los Angeles, San Diego
and the Baja California cities of Ensenada and Tecate.

	An unidentified man from Tecate, a town 25 miles east of
Tijuana, spoke at the post-parade rally at Lion's Club Plaza at
the end of Avenida Revolucion.

	"I was born in Tecate and it gives me much pride to walk the
streets of Tijuana with a sign that says, 'I'm a fag,' that I
don't have to hide myself, that I don't have to live in silence,"
he said.

	Alejandro Garcia of Grupo  Y Que? (the "And So What?
Group"), which organized the parade, told ralliers: "Many people
in the Tijuana gay community asked, 'Is it possible to have a gay
parade in Tijuana?' Yes! It's possible now! (Previously) we have
gone to San Diego to taste freedom. Now we have tasted the
freedom here. Many people in the gay community are watching what
happens this year, and next year there will be more people."

	Grupo  Y Que?'s Jose Navarro added: "We want to be as out
there as anyone else. There's a lot of repression and there's a
lot of people in the closet. But this is a big, major leap and
next year more people will come out and support our parade."

	The march was boycotted by Tijuana's eight gay bars and
discos, which feared repercussions from authorities, such as
raids or licensing troubles.

	It was not boycotted by U.S. media. The San Diego ABC TV
station led its 11:00 news with a lengthy story, the NBC station
carried an objective report about 10 minutes into the newscast,
and the San Diego daily newspaper, the Union-Tribune, published a
22-inch story. There was also extensive coverage on Tijuana
television.

	Other speakers at the rally included San Diego gay leader
Nicole Ramirez Murray and an unidentified gay activist from
Mexico City.

	"All of you should feel very proud because this is an
historic day for Mexico and for Tijuana, and you were all a part
of it," Murray said.

	The Mexico City activist added: "How great that Tijuana
finally decided to do this. Despite the government and despite
questions of repression in recent times, you were brave enough to
come out. Here's hoping we celebrate this day for many more years
and this park will be full and the avenues teeming with all the
people who march with the pride to say, 'I'm gay and I'm lesbian
and, So What!'"

	He was referring to Mexico's conservative Partido Accion
Nacional party being in power in the state of Baja California and
the fact that newly elected PAN officials recently have repressed
gays in at least two other Mexican states.

	Mexico City has had a gay-pride parade for 17 years.

                         == end ==