Gay-Friendly Rosario, Argentina

Paseo de Diversidad, Rosario, Argentina

By Roy Heale

Rosario is a radiant city on the move with a tolerant and gay-friendly population. The city is nestled in a gentle twist of the mighty Paraná River about 300 km northwest of the city of Buenos Aires. Due to this close proximity to the Capital City, it is often overlooked as a potential gay vacation destination by first time LGBT travelers to Argentina.

However, Rosario freely displays its natural ‘water-world’ of the Upper Delta with its magic islands covered by lush vegetation and the many desirable sandy beaches. In the city proper there are a number of museums, a curious blend of Spanish and Italian architecture, lovely parks harboring beautiful statues and monuments. The rainbow adorned LGBT Paseo de la Diversidad walk and monument is proudly located on the river boardwalk---located between Corrientes and Paraguay streets---for all to see. There are numerous beaches along the river front, restaurants with international cuisine, and steakhouses where you can sample the renowned Argentine beef cooked on a parilla, or taste the local gourmet speciality---fresh river fish.

Florida Beach, Rosario, Argentina

Vacation activities abound for the LGBT traveler to enjoy in Rosario. Night life is exciting with several gay discos---mostly open only on weekends--- gay-friendly bars, sidewalk cafes, and restaurants in a balmy, romantic atmosphere.

The local gay map and guide De Ambiente is an excellent source of Rosario LGBT information which is updated and published four times per year. It is readily available around town including the Official City Tourism Information Centers---another sign of how gay-friendly this city really is!

You know that you have arrived at a gay-friendly Hotel when the De Ambiente is displayed prominently in the hotel lobby along with other tourist information brochures. Such is the case with The Plaza del Sol Hotel in the heart of downtown Rosario where the local gay guide is readily available in the foyer. The welcoming gay-friendly staff are also extremely helpful and it is nearby all the historic attractions, including the Paseo de la Diversidad, Independence Park Theatre, and El Círculo Opera House, plus numerous gay-friendly cafes, bars, and clubs.

A short City Bus ride---costing less than two dollars---on the special “de la Costa” bus route will take you from downtown to the extensive sandy beaches of La Florida neighbourhood. Here sun worshippers gather around the umbrellas, beach volleyball games are everywhere, outdoor bars and cafes are dotted along the shore, nautical sports and bathers catch the eye. Were it not for the calm river and the lush islands in the background, it would seem akin to a tropical ocean resort beach.

Cafes On The Beaches

For relaxation, you can take a leisurely cruise on the Paraná River and thread your way through a maze of vegetation-rich islands in the delta or, if you are more adventure-minded, paddle a kayak across to one of the islands. Many tourists and locals alike ride bicycles or horses around the parks.

Rosario is the city where General Manuel Belgrano, one of Argentina’s most important forefathers, designed the country’s flag. One of the most popular attractions in the city is the impressive Flag Monument placed in the Parque Nacional de la Bandera (National Flag Park). There is also the possibility of heading to the top of the monument's tower for a great view of the city and river valley.

The history of LGBT Rosario is extensive and fascinating. According to local historian and long time Rosario resident Carlos Italiano---writer, history and Italian teacher---even during the oppressive dictatorships and religious influences the gay community in Rosario continued to thrive in secret. Some of their clandestine meeting places still exist today like the Hotel Savoy lobby bar. Although it has been renovated and upgraded it still seems to have a gay atmosphere inherited from those early days. Even Ricky Martin chose this hotel for his gay home-away-from-home when he visited Rosario. What could establish a gay reputation more than a “Royal Visit”?

National Flag Monument

In those early days the main gay cruising street was San Juan Street dating back about forty-five years when there were no bars or clubs in which the LGBT community could gather and no internet for instant hook-ups. Coincidentally, the gay-friendly Plaza del Sol hotel is located on this street today.

The renowned El Cairo Cafe was also a gathering place for the gay community along with local famous artists and authors. Today the Cafe has undergone a major restoration and is still a popular meeting place for locals and tourists alike.

The journey from Buenos Aires by bus, train, or rental car takes about three hours. It is well worth a side trip to Rosario for LGBT city life with some great opportunities for a change of pace and some relaxation during a gay vacation to Argentina.

Unique Rosario Architecture

With such a rich LGBT history, the Paseo de Diversidad, and a thriving LGBT community, it is no wonder that Rosario is recognized as an extremely gay-friendly major city in Argentina.

Contact De Ambiente Gay Guide:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/dambiente
Contact Plaza del Sol Hotel:
http://www.hotelesplaza.com/hotelplazasol/hotelplazasol.html

Gay-Friendly Argentina?

By Roy Heale


Not surprisingly, when any country or territory takes the bold step to legalize same-sex marriages the business community subsequently decides it is acceptable to adopt a gay positive attitude. Such was the case in other countries like Canada following the 2005 Same-Sex Marriage Act and it now appears to be the circumstance in Argentina since the passing of the new law in 2010. While this is a positive outcome of gay marriage there are also some precautions for the LGBT community to observe. What really defines “gay-friendly” and how genuine is this moniker versus just an opportunity to garner new business from the LGBT consumer?

In Argentina since 2010, the National Government Tourism offices known as INPROTUR (National Institute of Tourism Promotion) have been travelling the globe attending major travel trade shows promoting “gay-friendly” Argentina as a new destination for consideration by LGBT travellers. On many occasions the Minister of Tourism of the Nation, Sr. Enrique Meyer, has personally been accompanying the exhibit and attending the travel shows to demonstrate the country's serious commitment to the LGBT community. But how gay-welcoming is Argentina really to the LGBT traveller visiting the country for the first time?

Before embarking on a month long journey around central Argentina, I decided to pay a visit to an official Tourism Office in downtown Buenos Aires, on Santa Fe Avenue, to garner some LGBT information for my travels. Arriving at the office I was accompanied by two friends from Toronto, Canada who were visiting the country for the first time and also wanted some information about gay Buenos Aires. The friendly Argentine Tourism employee proved to be extremely helpful when we asked for gay information---no shocked expression or anti-gay vibes---but this subject matter proved to be sadly lacking in availability.

Firstly, my friends were offered a two year old gay Buenos Aires city guide, but with the caution that they could only use this for a reference guide as it was their only copy and must remain in the Tourism Office. They were told they could go to the publisher's website for more up to date information. However, I happened to know that this website has been “under construction” for the past year. When I asked for LGBT information for Rosario, Cordoba, Mendoza, and other major Argentine tourist destinations I was told that none was available.

Our endeavours spent heading to this important tourist resource center proved to be fruitless and a total waste of our time. Although the employee was very gay-welcoming she clearly had not been armed with the appropriate tools and materials to welcome an LGBT traveller. She did not even mention we were a short ten minute walk away from the Pink Point Buenos Aires Information Center where we could find a wide range of LGBT information and services for all of Argentina.

Clearly this is a case where a Marketing 101 course is sadly lacking for INPROTUR to explain the importance of preparing the product and services before advertising these offerings to the LGBT consumer.

Argentina is a very gay-friendly travel destination with many diverse and spectacular attractions for the gay traveller, it was a great disappointment to see the official tourism services sadly lacking in information. The gay guide to Rosario, the gay-friendly map of Bariloche, the Gay Mendoza Wine Festival details, Gay Pride information, brochures of gay-owned and gay-friendly accommodations, and more should have been readily available for LGBT tourists.

If Argentina is going to promote a gay positive attitude internationally then much work needs to be done within the country to make this a genuine gay-friendly welcome.

Notwithstanding government initiatives---or lack thereof---my personal experiences in Argentina have proven this to be a very gay-friendly and gay-welcoming country.