es ▁from ▁pat rons ▁threatened ▁with ▁arr ests ▁and ▁from ▁establish ments ▁seeking ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁compar ative ▁safety , ▁Mexico ▁City ' s ▁polic emen ▁had ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁ze al ▁in ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁hom osex uals . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁several ▁Mexican ▁cities ▁had ▁gay ▁bars ▁and , ▁later , ▁U . S .- style ▁dance ▁clubs . ▁These ▁places , ▁however , ▁were ▁sometimes ▁c land est ine ▁but ▁toler ated ▁by ▁local ▁authorities ▁often ▁meant ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁exist ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁the ▁own ers ▁paid ▁b rib es . ▁A ▁fairly ▁visible ▁presence ▁was ▁developed ▁in ▁large ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Gu adal aj ara , ▁A cap ul co , ▁Ver ac ru z ▁and ▁Mexico ▁City . ▁ ▁Among ▁many ▁Mexican ▁hom osex uals ▁there ▁exists ▁the ▁so - called ▁" ph all ic ▁dream ", ▁which ▁consists ▁of ▁seeing ▁the ▁U . S . ▁as ▁a ▁sexual ▁u top ia , ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁free ▁and ▁open ly ▁gay . ▁ ▁Act ing ▁accordingly , ▁they ▁try ▁to ▁make ▁contact ▁with ▁foreign ▁tour ists ▁as ▁a ▁spring board ▁to ▁the ▁dream ▁destination . ▁ ▁However , ▁many ▁end ▁up ▁dis ill usion ed ▁in ▁the ▁dream ▁destination ▁when ▁they ▁have ▁to ▁face ▁up ▁to ▁prev ail ing ▁hom oph ob ia ▁and ▁rac ism . ▁ ▁L GB T ▁movement ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁there ▁were ▁neither