15 Photos From Elska in Guadalajara, Mexico's Gayest City

Today Elska Magazine, the gay culture and photography project that travels around the world meeting everyday men from diverse LGBTQ communities, releases its latest issue. This time they headed to Mexico to showcase the country's gayest city -- Guadalajara.

"After visiting Bogota a year earlier for Elska and noting the openness and daringness of the men there, we wanted to return to Latin America, but choosing a city in such a huge region wasn't easy" says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. "Then we received a passionate leaer from a reader in Guadalajara who praised the charms of his city and asked us to come do an issue there. At first I was skeptical, suggesting that Mexico City might be a better option, but he asserted that Guadalajara is the true gay capital of Mexico, and promised to spread the word to some friends to see if there was interest. Soon we had a bombardment of messages from other Guadalajara gays praising their city and asking to take part. I decided that I couldn't let them down so I booked flights straightaway."

Elska is a project about discovery, about travelling the world and opening the minds and hearts of readers by lettng them meet various locals as if travelling right there with us. Inside each issue, readers find several chapters, each dedicated to a different man met in the featured city. These men are photographed in a natural and intimate style and they also contribute a personal story, which can be about any topic of their choice. There's no celebrity gossip, no fashion editorials, no lifestyle advice - the publication is like a sort of sexy anthropology journal meets little black book.

Only the second issue made in Latin America so far, Elska Guadalajara shares a few key similarities with 2018's Elska Bogota issue. Firstly, almost all of the stories are printed twice, with one version in Spanish and one in English, making this a truly bilingual issue. Secondly, there's a clear lack of shyness, with all but one of the participants choosing to be photographed fully nude as part of their pictorials. It's a real sign of openness, of being willing to share vulnerability, and of not caring what others might think.