San Juan and Boquerón in Puerto Rico, both port cities born of Spain and the United States’ takeover of the Caribbean nation, are considered among the more open-minded regions in the Caribbean. With LGBTQ celebrations dating back to the 1970s, the San Juan neighbourhoods of Santurce, Condado Beach, and Ocean Park are home to many queer individuals. The complicated history of Puerto Rico has forced generations of natives to resist colonialism in all its forms, in an effort to protect what makes them so proud of their culture. This birthright burns especially bright in the hearts of its queer population.

Puerto Rico’s queer culture is as tense and complex as the inception of the country itself. “It’s a place that is stuck in time somehow,” dancer Claudia Torres tells Dazed at Puerto Rico’s Pride celebration on Sunday, June 7. “Sometimes it’s very socially progressive, and with other things, it’s still very much colonised. In every aspect, it’s a very colonised society; there is still a lot of shame in being queer.” The Caribbean nation has a palpable religious history, after all. 

Puerto Rico is also a purveyor of queer arts, with a notable musical lineage including famed entertainers like Myrta Silva and Johnny Rodríguez, who became popular in drag cabaret in the 20th century. But while the country’s Pride parade is the largest in the Caribbean, this still feels at odds with a harmful political landscape in which American-backed legislation is targeting queer people. Act 63, established in 2025, criminalises gender-affirming medical care for transgender individuals under the age of 21, and those who go against this law may face up to 15 years in prison. Even though the country has typically fought against the influence of the US, its Republican governor, Jenniffer González Colón, is now entirely in lockstep with the Trump administration and its hardline social conservatism.

The heated energy of Puerto Rico Pride in June feels like a physical release of passion, and an act of rebellion for those who have felt condemned for their identities. The celebration concludes on the tranquil beaches of El Escambron, where families picnic on the lawn and people dance to reggaeton. Even during this revelry, the infrastructural issues which plague San Juan are still apparent. Water shortages, for example, are a persistent problem for many residents. “I have to buy and carry different gallons of water to drink,” Ocean Park resident Ema Loran Royk says. “This is my situation, and [that of] many other folks on the island, many of whom you see today having a great time.”

Royk currently lives in Puerto Rico after moving back from New York City, and it is especially meaningful for him to celebrate his identity in his homeland. “Queer liberation in Puerto Rico ultimately means loving the decisions you make and trusting your own lifestyle,” he says. “We [are different to] queer identities around the world. Those outside of Puerto Rico value more how you see queer liberation and how that manifests on your body – not so much in your way of living and way of moving in the world.”

Puerto Rican artist Carlián, who is performing on the main stage, tells Dazed that she hopes to inspire her community by living boldly. “It took me leaving the island to fully embrace who I was,” she says. “Being able to occupy space loudly and proudly as a masc woman is a fucking privilege in itself! Especially to show people who have yet to come out of their shell that it’s truly fine and beautiful – there’s so much value in community.”

Calle Cerra is a queer-friendly neighbourhood that many natives run to avoid the more crowded plazas. Everyone refers to each other as familia. You see elders singing and drinking in chairs, listening to bomba, while others stand in the middle of the cobblestoned streets laughing, kissing, and making new friends. “Puerto Ricans are everything; we have a Latin fire, and people are so in love here,” Puerto Rican beauty artist Emanuel Segarra tells me after the parade. “We’re very creative. We’re also very diverse because our culture is diverse.” His nearby friend, Brandon Jay Cabrera Ramos, chimes in: “We are hopeful and appreciative, and celebrate each other.”

LGBTQ+ people in Puerto Rico have an emotionally intimate relationship with their home. “I feel the freest here during this moment,” native Angelie Báez tells me at Pride with a huge smile. “I express myself however I want, and I feel community, and the families who are here learn that we're liberated.” Her local friend, Andrea Plaza Castro, then dreams aloud about what true queer liberty in Puerto Rico could feel like. “It’s special because we are finding inner freedom and choosing personal growth in the midst of chaos, rather than waiting for circumstances to improve.”