On Puerto Vallarta’s Lázaro Cárdenas — a cobblestoned street lined with the Mexican city’s gay bars — men embraced as if World War II were just won. Bright rainbow banners unfurled overhead. The sun shone brilliantly above a sea sparkling like freshly uncorked Dom Pérignon.
It was Vallarta Pride 2021 in May. Vaccines had been rolled out, and P.V. was hosting one of the world’s first major Pride celebrations. The clouds — in the form of COVID variants — had yet to roll in, and in that moment, an unbridled happiness swept the city. Life was resuming, and so too could queer joy.
While the realities of the pandemic have somewhat dampened this rosy outlook, Puerto Vallarta remains an oasis of this exultation. LGBTQ+ tourists from around the world flock to this city for its beauty, seaside activities, parties, and above all, acceptance. On the streets of Zona Romantica — P.V.’s LGBTQ+ district — the sight of two people of the same gender holding hands is unremarkable. Moreover, it’s a sign that the city’s travel industry, dependent upon out tourists, is thriving.
