This Beach in Mexico Is an L.G.B.T.Q. Haven. But Can It Last?
DNYUZ.com
When the sun starts to slip toward the ocean in this idyllic beach town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, a quiet migration begins. Groups of people, most of them gay men, many of them naked, amble down the beach toward a soaring rocky outcrop. They climb a winding staircase, over the ragged cliff and down to a hidden cove known as Playa del Amor, or beach of love. As the sun becomes an orange orb, the sky turns to lilac, and the many naked bodies, Black and bronze, curvy and chiseled, are brushed in gold. When it finally dips into the water, the crowd erupts in applause. “Playa del Amor at sunset, the first time I saw it I truly felt like crying,” said Roberto Jerr, 32, who has been visiting Zipolite for five years. “It’s a space where you can be very free.” For decades, this former fishing village turned hippie hangout has been an oasis for the queer community, which is drawn to its golden beaches, countercultural vibe and a practice of nudism that embraces bodies of all different shapes. But as its popularity has grown, attracting increasing numbers of gay and straight visitors, the town is starting to transform: Foreigners are snatching up land, hotels are multiplying, influencers are flocking to the beach and many residents and visitors now fear that what once made Zipolite magical could be lost for good. “Everyone in the community should visit a place where they can feel comfortable, where they can feel free, like Zipolite,” said Mr. Jerr, who is gay. “But on the other hand, there’s also this other part, this ultramass tourism that starts to leave places without resources.”
