ALICIA
FÀBREGAS

In 2021, some members of the LGBTQ+ community began to establish a small, informal market under a bridge outside a metro station in the center of Mexico City. Finding jobs in Mexico can be difficult due to discrimination. According to the Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad, a research center for public policies, "in Mexico, six out of ten LGBT people consider that their sexual orientation has been an obstacle to accessing employment. Even when they do find a job, 70% of LGBT Mexicans report feeling that they are not treated the same as their heterosexual peers."

For this reason, the market under the bridge has become a safe haven for the community—both a place to work and a place to live. Here, they can be together and better defend themselves against any attacks. During the day, they sell clothes, sexual accessories, artisanal objects, and art; at night, they also party, sometimes with DJs and live music. It’s a place where they can feel a bit freer.