Hi...enjoying all these posts! On 2nd trip to DR and first one to the Jarabacao area. Have read alot and viewed many videos and it all seems so beautiful. My partner and I will be staying in the area during Carnival and I was just wondering if we will attract any unnecessary attention being two gay males. We are not "obvious" etc...and just want to have a good time and absorb all the local culture etc.... Nor are we what I have read are "sex tourists", though we wouldnt mind a night in a gay club to hang out and have some drinks..but I realize that these can be found in the bigger cities and are not a priority for us. Anyways..any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone for sharing...its been fun reading and learning......thanks,:laugh:
- Thread starter dino61
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2 Gay men in Jarabacoa..will there be any problems?
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If you are not obvious then you will not have an issue, even if you were I doubt you would get much problem. There is a gay guy who owns the plaza bar upstairs. He is screaming camp nancy boy OTT so you will know when you find it. Easiest way to find it is ask for the Karaoke bar. You don't get a gay crowd in there, but you do get gays going there, if you know what I mean.
Hi..thanks for the replies....LOL...Not a screaming queen..so I guess I will be fine
In over 10 years I have never seen any sign of homophobia in the DR, not once from a Dominican and there are plenty gay men kicking around, in the closet and out (infact, there is an army of Bi's in every closet from what I see), Americans yes on the odd occasion when drunk, but Doms take life with a pinch of salt and are not interested in sexual orientation.
In around 7 years of time I've seen plenty of Dominicans ridiculing and even making fun of homosexuals. I've never lived in tourist area and know very few foreigners here and rarely interact with any other than those on DR1. I fully expect tourist areas to be different because there are many opportunistic types in these areas. Certainly things are changing here as the DR wants to follow the US in everything but this is still a relatively conservative country.
You are correct but Dominicans in general are not violent about it and tolerate the lifestyle, whether they approve of it or not.
Dominicans are generally more tolerant than NA's until you embarrass them or offend them enough.
Hence the amount of Bi men still in the closet.
CHIP.I see a very live and let live approach to homosexuals. Every man takes the pee out of and raging queen, even I do, part of the reason raging queens are raging queens is that they like the attention, it doesn't make it a bad reaction, a negative opinion. I've lived all over the world and this has to be one of the most open minded societies towards sexuality I've lived among. The women are worse, my sister is lesbian and when she visits with her girlfriend and we pop to the Colmado it is slightly more confusing for them, not negativity, well not from the guys, just can't get their head around sex between two people without a penis being involved, it is really funny how they get two men being gay, but not two women, as with most things at Colmado level though, it is all about the sex.
I honestly am wondering if I'm living in a different DR than you. Might I ask where have you lived the last 10 years?
The Capital and Jarabacoa, mainly.
You are not living in a different DR, but I would hazzard a guess you and jesus don't hang out with many Homo's to know the reaction they receive. Can I ask when the last time was you went out for a drink with a gay couple? People talk alot behind peoples backs, even take the pee, but in a face to face scenario, most big men are really quite small. Take it with a pinch of salt.
You are not living in a different DR, but I would hazzard a guess you and jesus don't hang out with many Homo's to know the reaction they receive. Can I ask when the last time was you went out for a drink with a gay couple? People talk alot behind peoples backs, even take the pee, but in a face to face scenario, most big men are really quite small. Take it with a pinch of salt.
I totally agree with givadogawtvhisnameis...
This is the most accepting country I've ever been in towards gay men..Im from Toronto where they have one of the biggest gay parades in the world and I dont see toronto being that accepting of gays on a day to day basis as they are here in DR...
Chip,
The jokes as you say exist. However, for the most part there is acceptance, if not understanding.
Not a criticism... but if you don't see the large number of homosexuals in DR living as part of the community... you just don't know how to recognize them. In Santiago, for starters all you have to do is go to a movie, Chili's, AhiBar, Centro Leon, PUCMM, UTESA, UASD, casinos, bars, Gold's Gym, a grocery store, or a church on Sunday morning.
There are doctors, attorneys, dentists, engineers, students, professors, media personalities, architects, designers, decorators, restaurant owners, photographers, graphic artists, administrators, salesmen, Orange representatives, call center operators, call center supervisors, government workers, politicians, judges, waiters, hotel owners, and more. And there's not just one in each of these categories. These are people I know personally. As for the where GiveaDog has lived,... these people that I can name are located in Santo Domingo, La Romana, La Vega, Moca, Cofresi, San Francisco de Macoris, Puerto Plata, Cabarete, Licey, Esperanza, Sosua, Santiago, Gaspar Hernandez and Mao. Some are within the families with the most recognizable names on the island. Others don't have the same pedigree.
Most of these are 'out of the closet'. A few limit with whom they share their personal life. However, they all lead respectable working lives, have loving friends and family, and co-exist within the rest of the community.
The jokes as you say exist. However, for the most part there is acceptance, if not understanding.
Not a criticism... but if you don't see the large number of homosexuals in DR living as part of the community... you just don't know how to recognize them. In Santiago, for starters all you have to do is go to a movie, Chili's, AhiBar, Centro Leon, PUCMM, UTESA, UASD, casinos, bars, Gold's Gym, a grocery store, or a church on Sunday morning.
There are doctors, attorneys, dentists, engineers, students, professors, media personalities, architects, designers, decorators, restaurant owners, photographers, graphic artists, administrators, salesmen, Orange representatives, call center operators, call center supervisors, government workers, politicians, judges, waiters, hotel owners, and more. And there's not just one in each of these categories. These are people I know personally. As for the where GiveaDog has lived,... these people that I can name are located in Santo Domingo, La Romana, La Vega, Moca, Cofresi, San Francisco de Macoris, Puerto Plata, Cabarete, Licey, Esperanza, Sosua, Santiago, Gaspar Hernandez and Mao. Some are within the families with the most recognizable names on the island. Others don't have the same pedigree.
Most of these are 'out of the closet'. A few limit with whom they share their personal life. However, they all lead respectable working lives, have loving friends and family, and co-exist within the rest of the community.
Wherever there are concentrations of foreigners and tourists it is expected that there will be a sexual industry to serve them.
While there certainly are homosexuals here in Santiago that still says little about what the average Dominican thinks about them. Attitudes are changing, especially among the young in the face of the over the top homosexual indoctrination as practiced by the entertainment industry, but still homosexual marriage will never be accepted here as legal or normal although said relationships would be tolerated within reason.
BTW, my friend here at the PUCMM in class with me laughed at the suggestion that there are lots of homosexual or bisexual Dominicans and I won't repeat a few choice words he said.
BTW, my friend here at the PUCMM in class with me laughed at the suggestion that there are lots of homosexual or bisexual Dominicans and I won't repeat a few choice words he said.
Your friend is preaching to the choir. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.
Thanks for the weather advice....will be there in mid Feb for a weekend....looking forward to getting away from the beach areas for the weekend and the Carnival! I also enjoyed the postings the original question(s) generated. I am also an avid/obsessed gardener, so looking forward to all the tropical and unique flora. Thanks again ....
Yes because a few gringos living in tourists areas would know better.
No, I'd say that listening to a few gringos living in tourist would only paint part of a realistic picture... so read what I wrote above and consider it's from someone who first travelled here over 20 years ago and has now lived here close to 10 years. 17 of those years working alongside Dominicans and a portion of that time in Santiago as a key member in a very large Dominican employer. My exposure to the Dominican population by far is not limited to tourist areas or lower socio-economic class individuals who may be opportunists.
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