The latest issue of gay travel mag Elska presents the Colombian capital as a “stunning, modern, cosmopolitan, and safe city full of open and positive people.”
Each issue of magazine introduces us to gay men from a different city. Past issues have focused on Brussels, Tapei, Cardiff, and even Mumbai.
But the latest issue, shot in Bogota, Colombia, is the first in Latin America—and the one editor-photographer Liam Campbell says he’s the most eager to come back to.
“I did a bit of research on LGBT rights, availability of queer spaces, and also just talked to people from the region, and Bogotá seemed to come out as the gayest city on the continent,” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. “So that’s why we decided to make Bogotá our first venture into the region, and it really turned out to be a great decision. It’s a stunning, modern, cosmopolitan, and safe city full of open and positive people.”
In addition to intimate portraits of Bogotans in their natural environments, the magazine includes personal accounts from each subject: There’s Duv V’s account of falling for the man he couldn’t have, Andrés V’s piece on leaving sex work, Leonard account of starting over after fleeing Venezuela, and Mario’s love letter to his boyfriend, Gabriel.
“The result is a presentation of different types of beauty,” Campbell insists, “all equal and all valid, delivered with sincerity and affection.”
The 168-page full color Elska Bogotá is available online or in stores. A companion e-zine,
Elska Ekstra Bogotá containing outtakes, behind-the-scenes tales, and images and stories from more subjects.
