The adult entertainment industry in Mexico is growing rapidly and the upcoming Expo Sexo y Erotismo (Sex and Eroticism Expo) will be a gauge of how conservative Guadalajara fits into the mix.
The Calle 2 events center in Zapopan (Parres Arias and Periferico) hosts the event on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30. Visitors will be able to see and photograph stars of erotic movies, as well as live shows. The Mexican and foreign businesses taking part in the fair will be hawking sex equipment, toys, magazines, books, movies, lingerie, aids and other adult-themed items.
The event is organized by Sexmex, the country’s leading producer of adult entertainment material. Owner Fernando Deira says there will be opportunities for attendees at the show – men and women – to try out for roles in his productions.
Adult entertainment expos in Mexico City traditionally draw large crowds. While Guadalajara is a smaller market, pornography is gradually becoming more widely accepted as mainstream, despite the prevalence of the Catholic faith.
Until the early 1990s, pornography was officially prohibited in Mexico. Nevertheless, a black market functioned with a certain amount of tolerance from the authorities. Restrictions relaxed after the opening of the nation’s borders with the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the end of the 70-year rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Sex shops, previously outlawed, are now a common sight in Guadalajara.
There is a darker side to the subject of pornography in Mexico, however. A study ordered by the Mexican Senate in 2012 suggested this country had the world’s highest circulation of pornography depicting minors and is the second in online production of this material, with about 85,000 exploited minors.
Organizers of these kinds of events are quick to point out that it is scientifically proven that adult pornography and the commercialization of sex are not the causes of people’s sexual obsessions.
Tickets for Expo Sexo y Erotismo cost 220 pesos. VIP tickets are 450 pesos. Location: Calle 2, Parres Arias and Periferico, Colonia Parque Industrial Belenes. Call (33) 3165-8339 for more information.