Argentine public opinion in general, and that of Buenos Aires in particular, has turned remarkably tolerant of gays and lesbians, if not necessarily of public homosexual behavior. Buenos Aires has an active gay scene that revolves around Barrio Norte’s Avenida Santa Fe, Recoleta, Palermo, and San Telmo. Early November’s Marcha de Orgullo Gay (Gay Pride Parade) leads from Buenos Aires’s Plaza de Mayo to Congreso.

Other popular areas include outlying areas like the Paraná Delta; other large cities have their own enclaves. Within Mar del Plata’s city limits, for instance, there’s a gay-oriented resort area known as Calú Beach.

Demonstrative contact such as kissing between males (on the cheek, at least) and holding hands for females does not have the same connotations as it might in North America or some European countries, and it is common among heterosexuals. This does not mean that gays and lesbians can always behave as they wish in public, however—police have beaten and jailed individuals who have offended their unenlightened sensibilities. If in doubt, be circumspect.