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By Rick Martínez
Will the economic meltdown in the U.S.A. and Canada spell disaster for the fabulous lifestyle of gay Vallartans? Probably not, say business owners here, because gay people often have more discretionary income than their straight counterparts.
Do you think we'll soon be seeing gay men panhandling on the Malecon for margarita money? Or maybe the sign of these not-so-gay times will be a drag queen on Lazaro Cardenas holding a sign written in lipstick: "Wearing last year's Manolo Blahnik; will work for better boots."
We are told that the economy in the United States is in the worst shape since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Since gay liberation took root in the late 1960s, that means that, as a community, we have never felt the sting of recession. The U.S. news is full of stories about people losing their homes and jobs or just cutting back on extravagances like, oh, weeklong vacations in Puerto Vallarta.
So when the economy first started tanking in September, I asked my gay gringo friends here how badly the crisis would play out in Vallarta. Well, you know that old saying about a river in Egypt. One rental agent literally pufffed out his chest when he said that no queen is going to cancel his week under a palapa at Green Chairs.
A recent informal survey of other gays and lesbians in the travel and rental business here paints a mixed picture: Some villas normally booked for the holidays are still available, but gay inns like Hotel Mercurio and Abbey Hotel are reporting filled reservation sheets for the high season.
At popular gay bar La Noche, owner Kevin Johnson has just come off the best month he's ever had: "For my business, I'm not seeing anything negative because of the economy. But looking around town, I see some businesses may be hurting." Johnson says he'll remain optimistic as long as airfares from the U.S.A. and Canada stay affordable.
David Schwendeman, who with his partner Terence Riley owns Mexlend mortgages, said calls to his company are up 400 to 500 percent over last year. "The gay vacation dollar is recession proof because we have more expendable income, more so than families who have to save to pay for their children's college."
They could be right - and I hope he is. But so many gays who live in Vallarta year round are business owners or realtors who have a vested interest in putting the best face on the situation. So while we locals are counting gay and lesbian tourists this high season looking for trends, I'll be imagining that panhandler on the Malecon and wondering if it might be me.
Rick Martinez is a journalist and freelance writer in Puerto Vallarta. He's betting that the local economy will stay strong.
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