These photographs, taken in 1935, show a group of Mexican men arrested because they were gay and detained inside Lecumberri Prison.
Known as the “Black Palace”, Lecumberri prison was infamous for overcrowding, violence and harsh conditions.
Gay prisoners were confined to Ward J nicknamed ‘Joto’ - a homophobic slur for gay men that is still used in Mexico today.
Despite being imprisoned, many of the men refused to hide. They posed confidently for the camera, smiled, flirted and looked directly into the lens, leaving behind a rare visual record of queer life during a time of persecution.
Their names and what happened to them afterwards were never documented.
Today, these photographs are preserved by Mexico’s National Photo Library at the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
