Gay Men’s Sexual Behaviour in a Holiday Destination

by Juan Carlos Monterrubio, Howard Hughes, Amanda Miller, & Peter Mason (Bedfordshire University)

Abstract:
Studies of gay men’s tourism are increasing in number; one of the gaps in the emergent literature is the vacation activities (including sexual behaviour) of gay tourists. This paper summarises a study of same-sex sexual behaviour of men at a tourist destination, a relatively isolated beach community in Mexico. Male tourists engage openly in same-sex activity in daylight and are observable by local residents and by other tourists. In addition, some of the encounters are commercial and some involve drugs; there are also allegations of child abuse. This scenario is presented as a preliminary to further investigation of locals’ attitudes to tourism which are likely to be an amalgam both of views about tourists in general and about gays (which may be further influenced by their sexual behaviour on vacation).