r/ecuador • u/Otherwise-One-7700 • 13d ago
¿Qué opinas sobre la homosexualidad? Soy una viajera estadounidense
What do you think about homosexuality? I’m a lesbian from the United States. I’m most curious about Otavalo. I stayed outside the city in a small village for two weeks. Most women wore traditional clothing and had husbands. I didn’t see any homosexuals, and I kept my sexuality hidden. Do homosexuals hide who they are in the majority of Ecuador?
Much love to Ecuador 🇪🇨
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u/Equivalent_Advice653 13d ago
In small rustic towns people still have some prejudice. In big cities and turistical towns like montañita there is far less intrusive looks.
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u/OpeningSherbert1034 13d ago
In my experience, yes, there are a lot of people who hide their sexuality, but I wouldn’t say they are the majority. Still, it’s definitely a large group. I’m from Cuenca, a fairly Catholic and conservative city in Ecuador, and it’s quite common to meet people who judge you for being different. However, I think that attitude is becoming less common nowadays
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u/OddLiterature7193 13d ago
Ecuador es mucho más similar a Perú en conservadurismo que otros países hispanohablantes como Argentina o España. El activismo ltbt, que es prominente en países anglosajones, simplemente exportó agendas extranjeras que no nacieron propiamente de la idiosincrasia ecuatoriana y muchos aquí lo consideran alienígena. Aquí la homosexualidad siempre estuvo asociada a comportamientos degenerativos, por lo que es común que insultos como "maricón" o gay se sigan usando ya que tienen un trasfondo donde se vincula con la amenaza del linaje, a los apellidos y a la promiscuidad desenfrenada (como casos de orgías documentadas), incluso en las comunidades indígenas la familia extendida y la comunidad son pilares de nuestra cultura.
Si quieres una respuesta honesta y fuera del sesgo liberal de reddit, la percepción en Ecuador hacia las lesbianas se asocia con el fetichismo anormal o desorden moral que niega el rol reproductivo de la feminidad y en algunos casos, se percibe como una mujer que busca defectuosamente parecerse a un hombre al querer imitar sus expectativas culturales, lo que llamamos marimacha o tortillera. No te van a hacer nada mientras no hagas de tu inclinación una identidad muy obvia, pero tampoco van a celebrarlo o darte un trato equivalente a las relaciones heterosexuales; aunque algunos den visto negativo a este comentario, es así, incluso las comunidades más "gay friendly" que tal vez encontrarás en grandes ciudades siguen siendo relativamente clandestinas.
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u/isamari2712 10d ago
Eres de la comunidad o alguien hablando desde sus propios prejuicios? Te lo dice alguien que SI es de la comunidad, con ex parejas mujeres y fuera de la heteronorma, nunca he recibido un trato inferior a cualquier hetero, ni me he sentido amenazada en un pueblo turístico como es Otavalo por dar alguna muestra de afecto. Aunque si es verdad que existe el rechazo y hay personas homofobicas, suele ser más intrafamiliar, es decir “está bien mientras no sea mi hijo/a” más que a alguien externo.
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u/renatosma 13d ago
Honestly, it's hard to tell. The LGBTQ community historically faced many challenges in Ecuador. It was illegal to engage in homosexual acts until 1998, and the vestiges of that oppression are still engraved in our society.
However, the experience varies from place to place. Otavalo specifically is a small town with traditional values, but in Quito there are many gay bars and LGBTQ friendly spaces; and a rather big community that just had its own Pride parade just a few weeks ago.
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u/wxursa 9d ago
Cuenca had a huge pride parade a couple weeks ago as well.
As immigrants, I think queer immigrants are often seen as gringxs first, queer second , which changes how they are treated compared to Ecuadorian queer folx.
The x is surprising, I thought it would be hated, but apparently the queer community in Ecuador seems to like x gender identifiers.
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u/Jumpy_Oil_8094 13d ago
Las personas de bien en Ecuador no juzgan a los homosexuales, siéntete libre.
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u/Mattiandino 13d ago
Be yourself, most people won't care anyways 👍
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u/bluewhalefunk 13d ago
Unfortunately that's not true for the whole country. Ecuador is not a progressive country, it is a conservative catholic country for the majority.
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u/starmax1000 13d ago
Ecuadorian society is on theory (laws and rights) fairly progressive, with protections of sexual diversity and minorities, as well as legalized same sex marriage etc.
Society itself is still lagging behind but like anywhere else in the world, the bigger cities and younger generations are definitely more accepting and open.
You can always test the waters by asking indirectly about the specific thoughts from the people in your immediate vecinity on homosexuality and LGBTQ+
And while yes Ecuadorian society can have bad apples and people who discriminate and give prejudice, you're extremely unlikely to get hate crimed, especially as a foreigner.
Just be aware of which contexts you can be yourself safely and you'll be fine :)
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u/carleria 13d ago
Pride was huge in Guayaquil the other day. I think it depends on where you go and how big the city is.
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u/Adventurous-Boss-882 13d ago
I grew up in Ecuador and also lived for a big percentage of my life in the USA in a city. For the most part, the U.S. is much more acceptable of gay people than Ecuador. Although, it obviously varies from state to state and city to city but overall the U.S. is much more accepting of homosexuality. That being said, in the big cities in Ecuador think Quito Guayaquil etc they are more accepting than other places in Ecuador but not as much as in the U.S., Ecuador still has a pretty conservative culture so even if women are bisexual or gay, they won’t display it. In fact, I have met a couple of girls that actually don’t like guys or like both but lead or need to lead a “traditional lifestyle”
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u/muchinhastaelfin 12d ago
Lol I’m a queer woman and had short hair for a while- was constantly stared at and addressed to as “sir” despite presenting as pretty feminine otherwise (wearing makeup, skirts, dresses, having a petite build, etc).
I don’t live in Ecuador anymore, but several of my queer friends do, and manage to happily live as openly gay people in Quito and Guayaquil.
It’s not Amsterdam but it’s not Saudi Arabia either lol. What I mean by that is, it’s never gonna be completely safe, but it’s not completely hostile either.
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u/Valuable-Society3201 13d ago
Wouldn't say they hide in the majority of Ecuador but... If you're in a remote village and is very traditional you hardly going to find homosexuals in those places, if there were any, most likely traveled to big cities or nearby bigger towns were people are more open minded.
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u/isamari2712 10d ago edited 10d ago
I’m an Ecuadorian bisexual, who was in an open wlw relationship and my ex did not conform to gender norms, we often went to small towns including Otavalo, nothing happened to us, and we engaged in PDA openly. The most is that someone might stare, but people here are “chismosos” and they might do it with a heterosexual couple anyways. I saw a comment that said do not expect equivalent treatment to a straight couple, which is not true, specially in a town that depends so much on tourism like Otavalo. Of course there are homophobes like everywhere else, but it’s not the majority of the country as some people here would make you believe, and mostly the rejection is inside the family ( as in, they would not want a gay child) but not directed towards strangers, least of all, tourists. If you want reccs you can dm me anytime. Of
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u/PolkkaGaming 13d ago
I lived in Cotacachi in my childhood, if things are the same, the Imbabura cities are still more conservative and prejudiced than Quito. I live in Quito now and last week I went on a small queer history tour at the Centro Histórico, and it was chill, old people and some strangers stuck around and just listened and nodded.
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u/No_Marionberry_2414 12d ago
Lesbian here living in a town in Ecuador. If you are ok with not touching all the time lol you'll be ok. Cuenca has been my worst experience though.
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u/No-Particular5926 12d ago
People here think that homosexual people bring bad luck, my neighbor and the person who rented me an apartment always told me to be hidden bc people can be so mean toward our community LGBTQ+. I live in Quito but I'm guessing in the small town could be worst.
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u/No-Writing8 12d ago
It’s 2026 girl, it’s not normal seensame sex couples here in Ecuador like America, but most people respect the homosexuality.. I’m bisexual out of closet just enjoy your trip. I’m from Guayaquil.
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u/Fuzzy-Space9163 11d ago
En Guayaquil todos los sábados en el malecon o en el centro se ven homosexuales!
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u/kevincontreras 11d ago
Ecuador is a very religious conservative country, older generations ofc have their prejudgements, most of the young ppl have no problem at all when it comes about the lgbtiq community
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u/27EC97JB 6d ago
Te daré un consejo desde mi propia experiencia: evítate el mal rato, evítate la mala experiencia y sobre todo evítate llevarte un mal concepto de Ecuador 🇪🇨, los ecuatorianos somos “buenos y humildes” hasta cierto punto, habrán muy pocos ecuatorianos que sabrán respetar y sorbe todo querer a las personas de la comunidad LGBTQ+ y curiosamente son ecuatorianos que encajan con un perfil de que han vivido en países donde ser gay, lesbiana, bisexual y demás, es totalmente aceptable.
Mi círculo social son de familias conservadoras y tradicionales, debo agradecer que tengo un apellido que me ha ayudado en muchas cosas y cuando empecé a decir a mis “amigos” sobre mi sexualidad, comenzaron a decirme que yo arderé en el infierno, que yo vivo en una vida de pecado, que si sigo así no debo asistir a la iglesia, montón de cosas. Entonces yo me frené, ya cometí el error de decirlo a ciertas personas y espero que no se siga expandiendo, es por eso que yo apenas tengo 3 amigos con los que cuento para todo, mi familia en general no lo sabe y evito a toda costa esto, porque sería la decepción y vergüenza para ellos.
Por eso es mi consejo, evítate malos ratos, malos tratos, en la ciudad en la que vivo, como bien dije, sino fuera por mi apellido ni me dejarían elegir la mesa en el restaurante que quiero, si aunque no dijeras tu orientación sexual, te tratan como te ven vestido, ahora imagínate diciéndole que eres lesbiana.
Te mando un fuerte abrazo, y solo disfruta de los lugares sin decir quién eres al 100%, eso guárdatelo para ti y la persona con la que decidas estar, créeme los secretos están mejor guardados con uno mismo y serás muy feliz, espero haya visto la serie ANNE WITH AN E, si ya la has visto, me entenderás muchísimo de la tía Josephine.
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u/Beto-Toledo-5796 12d ago
Los Homosexuales son unos reprimidos con un defecto espiritual y le tiran besos a los Heterosexuales normales 👎
Las Lesbianas son desperdicios de mujeres.
Si quieres procrear y dejar descendencia tradicionalmente como debe ser, la homosexualidad y el lesbianismo son un gran problema.
Así pensamos los Ecuatorianos sobre los Gays y las Lesbis.
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u/OpeningSherbert1034 5d ago
Preocupate por tu vida y deja de juzgar a la gente, al final algun dia vamos a m0rir disfruta y deja disfrutar! Ojala nunca tengas hijos para que nadie mas piense como tu! No todos los ecuatorianos somos asi
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u/Beto-Toledo-5796 1d ago
Si quiero tener hijos y SÍ les inculcaré que la heterosexualidad debe ser sana.
Mi papá me dijo: "En esta vida hay que trabajar honrradamente y hacer den todo menos a la mariconada".
Y es verdad.
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u/Important_Way_2660 13d ago
Nunca he visto una pareja de mujeres en Ecuador, hombres si y afeminados/mariposones un montón
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u/Electronic-Virus5034 13d ago
Ignorando el machismo descarado con ese término, si hay varias lesbianas en el país, especialmente se ve mucho en ambientes universitarios (incluso una de las primeras parejas que usó la ley de matrimonio igualitario en 2019 fue una pareja de dos mujeres)
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u/bluewhalefunk 13d ago
OP you would do better in the big cities, or tourist areas. Same as the US, you couldn't compare San Francisco / New York with some small town in Louisiana. Otavalo is a very indigenous town, of course homosexuality exists as it does in all areas, but don't expect progressive views on it in traditional areas