Bill O’Reilly’s big gay Mexican adventure

22-July-2007: I’m not sure why this post suddenly became so popular in the last few days, but I’m glad people enjoy it. Keeping the Mex Files going is practically a full time job, and I can barely afford it. The Mex Files is written from a very rural, isolated corner of the U.S./Mexican border (the Texas Big Bend) where there aren’t a lot of outside economic opportunities. I do a little free-lancing for the local papers, and live modestly. But, my own bills — compounded by the problems caused by a mentally ill neighbor I helped out who wrote me several large bad checks to cover her expenses — mean I’ll have to discontinue the Mex Files unless more financial support is available.

I need to raise a few hundred dollars immediately, and about 12,000 over the year. That’s only $30 a reader, given 400 “regulars” — and maybe some from people reading this…

If you prefer to send a check, money order or make other arrangements, please write me at “richmx2 -AT- excite -DOT- com” and include “Mex Files” in the subject line.

Back to the original post:

If you go to any of the resort areas, Cancún or Acapulco, as I mentioned, Puerto Vallarta, any of them — come on, it’s gay parade time. …There’s gay bars; there’s gay restaurants; there’s gay everything.

YUP… THAT Bill O’Reilly… REALLY!

I don’t know how to steal the video, but it’s right here on Media Matters.
(The comments are almost — ALMOST — as bizzaro as Billo’s blathering).

Billo’s was discussing an recent legal case, in which gay Mexican cited a “well founded fear of persecution” in seeking political asylum. The Mexican does not fit the stereotype of a gay man — a lower court had basically told him to “go in the closet”.

It’s one of those “I donno” things… On the one hand, the Mexican Constitution grants equal rights regardless of “orientation”. There is a suprisingly high level of social tolerance, sometimes in surprising places. But, there is very real anti-gay violence in Mexico (written about here and here).

Homophobia and tolerance seem to have a lot more to do with social class, age, religion and where one lives within Mexico … just as they do in the United States.

So… how does one prove one’s sexual orientation in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt?

AND SHOULD GAY TOURISTS START ASKING BILL O’RIELLY WHERE TO GO IN PV?