I know I am no longer in a place that preaches freedom, but there are straight couples laying on top of each other on benches in the plaza and making out against walls in the bus station. Every time I pass a group of hombres whistling fills the air and sometimes a more overt yelp at my blonde hair. My girlfriend has henna red hair right now and she gets stared at so much a man almost crashed his bicycle into a parked car. I cannot hold her hand but they can catcall from any corner, I cannot call her to say goodnight but she has to go home in the light because darkness swallows the roads whole, we aren´t allowed to look at each other for too long but they don´t blink as their heads follow us down the street. There are some things here like in the US, like an obsession with handsomeness, skinny jeans, and fashionable boots but there´s trash in the streets and dogs without homes rifling through the bags to find food. Her and I talked about how at least when we´re checked out in the US it is more subtle. Easier to ignore. A girl in our group said all the attention made her feel special and pretty. I feel so much like a piece of meat I´m surprised the dogs have yet to attack me. Women here smoke cigarettes about every twenty minutes, I had quit before coming to this country and now I need them. They lower sex drive. Dinner conversation revolves around sex as does after dinner drinks and smoking. But we can´t even hold hands. There is something seriously wrong in the US not allowing gay marriage but here I´m scared for my (and her) well being. I had talked to one other lesbian who went to Spain, but I think Europe is different. So I just smoke cigarettes and think about things I can´t have like sex, or just snuggling. We are going to Argentina for Pride Week in Buenos Aires, I am really excited. At least this site (just reading recent blog posts or comments) helps me maintain my smidgen of sanity, I believe Buenos Aires will assist in the support I need now from being so isolated from my community of queers for over two months. Thanks for reading.