“Fuera del clóset”: Coming Out in Mexico City and the Effects of Sociocultural and Generational Change

Abstract While generational changes are often understood to be central to shifting attitudes about sexuality, there has been little concrete study of the impact of sociocultural change and generational differences within families on sexuality- and gender-related understandings, especially in contexts outside of the so-called Global North. We address this gap by examining cross-generational, intrafamilial dynamics relating to coming out as LGBT in Mexico City. We present findings from group interviews with relatives of LGBT youths and discuss the reactions of siblings, parents, and other relatives upon learning than a young family member identifies as LGBT. We contrast the attitudes of two generations within the families we interviewed, one socialized during the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and another during an era of increased access to information about sexuality, especially online, and growing normalization of sexual diversity. Our analysis reveals a tension between the older generation’s tolerance of sexual diversity and its reluctance to communicate such tolerance to their own children, leaving their LGBT children uncertain about the potential for family acceptance. This tension reflects still prevailing fears about sexual diversity, plus a generalized preference for children to live heteronormative lives. It also calls attention to the uneven character of sexual modernization in Mexico.