Being a Pagan or Feeling Divine. Thoughts on the Construction of Gay Identities in Gran Valparaíso, Chile

Abstract

This paper aims to generate discussion about the socio-cultural factors that are shaping gay identities in Gran Valparaíso, based on the experiences of costumers at the Pagano and Divino nightclubs as sources of identification and sociability in a dynamic process. Through ethnographic techniques, the paper identifies how certain social markers of difference operate in the local market, and offer multiple identification alternatives. The narratives produced will support the emerging identities based on the construction of a different and diverse other self.