Talking about a taboo in Bolivia
One of the official flags of Bolivia. The colours closely resemble the gay pride flag, but confusing the two will provoke a strong reaction. Before I came to Bolivia, I knew that it was a predominantly Catholic country and patriarchal society. I knew that gay rights would be miles behind New Zealand, but that didn’t stop me being shocked and on the verge of tears when I had a conversation with my Spanish teacher about such matters. He is an otherwise progressive Bolivian who I get on well with. He doesn’t believe in religious extremism and moved away from his family to attend university when the majority of Bolivians depend on their parents until they are married, or even after. He has formed views that go against the societal norm when it comes to equal rights for men and women, but he thinks there is something weird about being gay. He said he doesn’t like how feminine gay men are and he just doesn’t get it. He thinks it’s unnatural and he is even scared of gay men, once re