in ated ▁by ▁mail ▁and ▁mess engers ▁who ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁group . ▁ ▁Col onial ▁culture ▁was ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Spain ▁and ▁had ▁prominent ▁intellect uals ▁among ▁those ▁born ▁in ▁America . ▁ ▁Perhaps ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁was ▁Sor ▁Ju ana ▁In és ▁de ▁la ▁Cruz , ▁of ▁whom ▁it ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁said ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁les bian , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁inten se ▁friend ships ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁with ▁various ▁women , ▁the ▁beauty ▁of ▁whom ▁she ▁pra ises ▁in ▁her ▁poetry . ▁ ▁Independent ▁Mexico ▁Mexican ▁independence ▁from ▁Spain ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁brought ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁In quisition ▁and ▁the ▁colonial ▁hom osex ual ▁opp ression . ▁The ▁intellectual ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ▁and ▁the ▁brief ▁French ▁occupation ▁of ▁Mexico ▁( 1 8 6 2 – 6 7 ) ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁Pen al ▁Code . ▁This ▁meant ▁that ▁sexual ▁conduct ▁in ▁private ▁between ▁adult s , ▁whatever ▁their ▁gender , ▁ceased ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁criminal ▁matter . ▁In ▁matters ▁concerning ▁hom osex ual ity , ▁the ▁Mexican ▁government ▁held ▁that ▁law ▁should ▁not ▁in va de ▁the ▁terrain ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁moral ▁conscience , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁pre cious ▁concerns ▁of ▁sexual ▁freedom ▁and ▁security ; ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁should ▁limit ▁itself ▁" to ▁the ▁minimum ▁eth ics ▁ind isp ens able ▁to ▁maintain ing ▁society ." ▁It ▁did ▁not ▁grant ▁people ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁be ▁over t ly ▁hom