A bunch of my gay friends are reading this blog as well as some guys (and gals?) who have stumbled upon it. I know some of you are considering a move to Uruguay so I thought I’d write a little about gay life here. Actually “a little” is all I’m really qualified to write since I haven’t really sought out the local gay scene. When I was in my twenties I lived in New York City and Miami. Back then I did plenty of socializing in gay discos, bars and night clubs. These days I’d rather stay home and watch paint dry than hang out in a bar. So if anybody is looking for a source for gay nightlife info I’m definitely not your guy.

As for everyday life as a gay man in Montevideo it’s pretty much been a non-issue. JP and I are completely out. We have gay friends and straight friends. Mostly straight friends actually. Uruguayans as a whole are very educated and therefore maybe a bit more open minded. Uruguay is also a non-religious secular society with a very strong separation of church and state. Because of their history (mostly Spanish and Italian immigrants) the culture has a lot of Catholic influences but without active meddling from the Vatican. [I don’t want to turn this into an anti-religion post since, though I’m an atheist, I respect everybody’s individual spiritual choices and I whole-heartedly defend the freedom of religious expression in the context of true separation of church and state. I do have a problem though with organized religions that preach hatred and intolerance towards gay people.]

In Montevideo there are several gay clubs and bars but there is no gay ghetto. I’ve noticed more gay people in the Pocitos and Punta Carretas neighborhoods but that could be because these are the two neighborhoods where I spend most of my time. Again though, these are definitely not gay neighborhoods like Chelsea, West Hollywood, the Castro, or South Beach.

I received the following comment from Larkin:

“I’m also gay and in my mid-20’s. I’m moving to Montevideo from Atlanta in May. Info on gay Montevideo is hard to come by, I know that it’s laid-back, and that’s part of it’s appeal to me. Any info on what neighborhood to rent in (Pocitos perhaps?)”

Yep, Montevideo’s gay scene can definitely be described as laid back. Pocitios is probably a good choice for you. There a lot of younger people (20s and 30s), it has a nice beach, and there’s plenty of restaurants and shopping within walking distance. Pocitos is a densely populated neighborhood with many high-rise apartments. Punta Carretas and Buceo are on either side of Pocitos and they’re both more mixed with high-rise apartments and single-family houses. Both are very nice. Parque Rodó is also a cool area. It’s probably more middle class while the others are middle to upper.

A great source for real estate listings is BuscandoCasa.com. Also, my realtor Lucia del Castillo is absolutely wonderful. She’s been in real estate here in Montevideo for a very long time. She speaks English and is very, very honest. She and her husband don’t have any children so Lucia has “adopted” JP and me as her sons so I’ve gotten to know her on a personal basis as well. Her Web site is luciadelcastillo.com and her email is info@luciadelcastillo.com.

This is part of a comment from William:

Wow what a gold mine, to find your blog. I’ve been reading Uruguayan Blogs for a little over a year now. My interest comes from wanting to find a place for semi-retirement. I’m a young 47 year old Gay man living and working in Seattle. I’ve read most of the other noted English language blogs and recently purchased Southron’s e-guide to Uruguay. But since I am gay and I don’t speak or read Spanish I’ve found hardly any info from a gay perspective.

The book William refers to, “Southron’s Guide to Living in Uruguay,” is an absolute must for anybody considering a move to Uruguay. It’s a well-researched reference full of useful information. Southron keeps it interesting with a great sense of humor. You can buy it directly from Southron’s Uruguay Living blog.

If anybody out there has questions about specific topics — gay or not — please feel free to ask. Uruguay and Montevideo offer an endless amount of topics for blog posts but if I can address a subject that’s of particular interest to people I’d be happy to do it.