Paraguay offers a different world for the gay traveller.
Gay society here has progressed in the past 18 years, but it’s still closeted and discrete, even compared with neighbors such as Brazil and Argentina
Information about gay life in Paraguay is hard to come by. The Paraboi Web Page hopes to be your best source for information about this fascinating, often neglected country.
Most of the information available on Gay Paraguay from outside sources is outdated and invalid. For example, the Spartacus Gay Guide, which prides itself as the leading authority for international gay travel, until recently listed a handful of gay clubs and bars which for the most part, have ceased to exist long ago. Yet they publish the same dated listings year after year. Their most recent edition now [we proudly note] incorporates information taken directly from this web page, although it's puzzling why they continued to add the old nonexistent listings alongside the new updated information from our site.
The country is emerging from its shell after the overthrow of the Stroessner dictatorship in 1989. Gays here, though still closeted and discete, have begun to emerge from the shadows. The situation might be parallel to the emergence of gay society in the USA in the 1970s and 80s.
The internet and the advent of cellular phones have revolutionized how gays find each other in this isolated, landlocked country. Very few people have or can afford computers or internet connections in their home, so they connect to the internet at "Cibers" or Cyber Cafes,which now populate even just about every commercial center, with many of them located in the main Shopping Center [referred to here as the "shopping"].
Just about everyone here utilizes a Hotmail address and MSN Messenger, in contrast to the USA where AOL and AOL Instant Messenger is king. [ a tiny majority also use Yahoo Argentina or Yahoo Spain, but AOL is nonexistent here]. So if you want to make contact from the outside, it helps to have Hotmail and MSN Messenger.
Cell phones vastly outnumber land lines here, and are used as much for text messages and email as they are for voice calls. Given the low income levels here, few people have unlimited or package cell phone plans as in the US, so they buy prepaid cards that have to be recharged when the minutes on the card are used up.
Since renting time at internet cafes is expensive and most of them close in the evening, emails and text messages sent via cell phones are the preferred means of communication. Companies such as Vox, Personal, and Tigo even have web sites you can go to from which you can send text messages to their cell phone customers.
One other popular method for gays to find each other is through El Quincho, a mIRC chat site found on http://www.pla.net.py -you will need to have the mIRC program installed on your computer to partake in these chats. In El Quincho you will find gay and curious Paraguayans cyber cruising.
Keep in mind that few Paraguayans speak or understand English. As a matter of fact, Spanish may not even be the principal language of some locals. Guarani, the native dialect spoken before the Spanish landed in South America, is the language spoken in many Paraguayan homes, but Spanish is most commonly the language used in business and official channels. You should have no problems in the major cities if you know Spanish, but in the countryside, Guarani is prevalent. Most Paraguayans speak both languages [or a mixture referred to as "guarañol"].
A common question when gays cruise each other here is whether one is "activo" [a top] or "pasivo" [a bottom]. Roles here are less flexible than in the US and Europe. “Straight" guys who partake in gay sex don't usually consider themselves as "bi" or "gay"- as long as they are "activo" [the top] they feel they aren’t “crossing the line” [similar to the current phenomonem of being on the "Down Low" in the USA.
A Paraguayan tradition you will likely partake in if you mix with the locals is drinking Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate comes from a tree, "Ilex Paraguariensis", cultivated in South America. The yerba is the leaves; dried and crushed to make a tea-like herb. The "matero" carries his gourd (mate) containing the yerba and the bombilla in one hand, while carrying a thermos of water under his arm. Mate drinking is often a shared ritual spirited with friends and family. The matero prepares and tries the mate. Then, he passes the mate to another group member who drinks his prepared drink. Some people prefer to prepare and drink from their own mate. The liquid is ingested from a metal straw with a filter at the bottom called a bombilla. These filter the leaves out of your mate drink. Bombillas are typically bronze-based and plated with other durable metals. It is common to see Paraguayans walking around in public places carrying their mate gourds and thermoses of water. People who drink yerba mate do it as an entertainment form. Mate drinkers drink it while going for walks, while at sporting events, picnics, and it’s popular among many student activities. Yerba mate contains many vitamins and minerals. One group of investigators from the Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific Society concluded that mate contains practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life. In addition, mate contains a xanthine alkaloid called mateine. Xanthines draw a lot of attention because they number among them some traditional nasties, chief of which is caffeine. For many years, and even now, in some sectors, yerba mate was (is) thought to contain caffeine; but it differs from caffeine in some rather dramatic ways Mateine has a unique pharmacology and appears to possess the best combination of xanthine properties possible. For example, like other xanthines, it stimulates the central nervous system, but unlike most, it is not habituating or addicting. Likewise, unlike caffeine it induces better, not worse, attributes of sleep. It is a mild, not a strong, diuretic, as are many xanthines... Summarizing the clinical studies of France, Germany, Argentina and other countries, it appears that we may be dealing here with a very powerful rejuvenator! An article in "The Society Arts Journal" noted, 'Mate has an amazing power to sustain strength neither tea nor chocolate can pretend to have. Hikers using mate are able to walk six to seven hours without the necessity of eating.' Mate has long been known to prevent and reduce fatigue. Dieters use mate to suppress the appetite, while providing necessary nutrition, energy and improved elimination to compensate for a reduction in ingested calories... Mate also belongs to the class of herbal medicines called alternatives. That is, it seems to be continually striving to rid the blood of waste materials and miscellaneous toxins. Many people report that they require less sleep when using mate; usually such an experience is accompanied by a deeper, more relaxing sleep." Although North Americans are only now beginning to discover and acknowledge the "unequaled natural nutritional value" yerbamate offers, the Paraguayan have used it and reaped health benefits for centuries by drinking it daily. While not reported in clinical studies, some who drink yerba mate attest to experienceing increased sexual vigor and staying power. Liquid viagra? Some say so!
At the beginning of Summer 2003 [Summer in Paraguay runs from December to March!] about a half dozen gay clubs and bars existed in the capital city. Due to a strict zoning law intented to cut down on drunk drivers, which cut the operating hours of bars and clubs in Asunción, a majority of them have shut down. The night club fire in nearby Buenos Aires, Argentina, which followed shortly thereafter, has also instigated a crackdown on fire code violations, making it harder for the establishments to operate. What few remain are listed below, but don't expect South Beach style revelry in Asunción:
Trauma Pub
mainly tranvestite/ drag queen scene here
address: 25 de Mayo 760 casi Antequera, Asunción
Secret's Disco
exclusively gay & lesbian- pop, rock & dance music
address: España 290 between Estados Unidos & Brasil
Asunción
Alejandria
pop, rock & dance music
address: Palma between 15 de Agosto & O'Leary
Asunción
Most of these clubs admit age 21; few admit age 18 and/or all ages. Drinking age laws aren't strictly enforced as in the US, so minors get in to clubs easily. They usually only open on Fridays and Saturdays only.
You must remember that open displays of affection between gay men are still not tolerated in public here.
Crusing Spots:
There are no specific gay only cruising sites, but many
"taxi bois" [local slang for hustlers or prostitutes] frequent the area around the Plaza de la Democracia in Asunción.
More conventional gays do their crusing in the Shopping Centers in central Asunción.
Gay Saunas:
945 Sauna Club
Tte Fariña near Estados Unidos
Men' Stetic
Mexico 1138 between República de Colómbia and Rodríguez de Francia
As far as the legal situation in Paraguay, there are laws against sodomy when it concerns minors under the age of 18, and when prostitution and/or commercial exploitation is involved. The age of consent is 12, but can be punishable in certain circumstances when charges are brought for "corruption of minors" and "offences against public morals". Consult the spanish legal page "Derechos y la Ley" for more detailed information.
Those looking for vibrant nightlife and a festive atmosphere to be found locations such as Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro will not find it here.However, the gay traveller who comes to Paraguay with an open mind will find a more tranquil world, a strangely exotic one, due to its unique mixture of Spanish and Guarani influences. Paraguay and her people offer a rewarding experience you will likely never forget!
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