▁ ▁Histor ians ▁often ▁described ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁custom s ▁that ▁surprised ▁them ▁or ▁that ▁they ▁disapp ro ved ▁of , ▁but ▁t ended ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁position ▁of ▁accus ation ▁or ▁ap ology , ▁which ▁makes ▁it ▁impossible ▁to ▁distinguish ▁between ▁reality ▁and ▁propag anda . ▁ ▁In ▁general , ▁it ▁seems ▁that ▁the ▁Mex ica ▁were ▁as ▁hom oph ob ic ▁as ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁and ▁that ▁other ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁much ▁more ▁toler ant , ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁hon oring ▁Two - Sp irit ▁people ▁as ▁sh am ans . ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ▁in ▁the ▁colonial ▁period ▁and ▁after ▁independence ▁is ▁still ▁in ▁great ▁part ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁studied . ▁ ▁A bove ▁all , ▁the ▁ 1 6 5 8 ▁execution s ▁of ▁sod om ites ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁Dance ▁of ▁the ▁Fort y - One , ▁two ▁great ▁sc and als ▁in ▁Mexican ▁public ▁life , ▁domin ate ▁the ▁scene . ▁ ▁The ▁situation ▁is ▁changing ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁in ▁part ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁L GB T ▁community ▁as ▁potential ▁consum ers , ▁the ▁so - called ▁p ink ▁pes o , ▁and ▁tour ists . ▁ ▁La ws ▁have ▁been ▁created ▁to ▁combat ▁disc rim ination ▁( 2 0 0 3 ), ▁and ▁two ▁federal ▁entities , ▁the ▁Federal ▁District ▁and ▁Co ahu ila , ▁have ▁legal ized ▁civil ▁un ions