Expat Community > Ecuador

LysergicPancakes
Joined 2018
Posts: 3

Social Issues in Cuenca: Why I'm Leaving

6 years ago

I've lived in south and central American countries for around six years since I was 13, starting with Guatemala. I see the points on U.S. culture kind of ruining things here... I'm not really all that fond of regular tourism, anyway- people just coming here to look at (pollute) the Galapagos, and party and drink. It's not real travel, it's just tourism over summer vacation. Even though, I'd say that the gringos coming here aren't the worst of it... I mean I am relentlessly attacked by locals for the way I dress and have a Mohawk (for being 'poor', a 'druggie', a 'whore', a 'lesbian' etc.) and when I'm not getting attacked, I'm getting made fun of by locals who assume I don't understand Spanish, usually to my face. A few weeks ago, (before I turned 18) an off duty drunk cop went up behind me and cut part of my Mohawk off with a pair of scissors. This was after he made sexist remarks about me being a 'lesbian bitch', and him and his drinking buddies sexually harassed me for twenty minutes while I was trying to buy something from a store. I'm a trans guy.... and people are SO homo/transphobic here, I actually think I'm going to fly back to the states to be homeless because (ironically) I can't find anywhere else easier to live... In cities like Lima, Cuenca, Medellin I find the vanity, Americanized materialism and commercialism, judgementality and sexism to be not very peace and love. In Cuenca, there is so much passive aggressiveness in the way that people treat each other- heavy insults get slung at people in hopes of damaging them of making fun of them, all while everyone smiles and laughs and pretends nothings going on. Racism is very prevalent here towards people of less common ethnicities, and it's just like a big joke.. Alienating pretty much everyone with heritage from Asia or Africa. It's a form of social segregation. And no, I can't just ignore this. At least in cities like Berkeley there is the occasional down to earth person to be real friends with, not to mention that sexual harassment isn't socially accepted/ignored, especially when it comes to a bunch of middle aged dudes trash talking a teenager. I don't know... if any of you other gringos out there have experienced this stuff, it would be great to know I'm not alone, if not I'd love to hear your opinions anyway,
booop booooooooop

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Social Issues in Cuenca: Why I'm Leaving

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