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The monthly gathering celebrated one year of creating spaces for lesbian and sapphic women, transgender and non-binary people, with an evening dedicated to community members whose work spans activism, art, entrepreneurship, and advocacy.
Noche de Lenchas celebrated its first anniversary on the night of Friday, September 4, with a special event that highlighted women from various fields who have helped strengthen and raise awareness of Puerto Vallarta’s diverse community.
The celebration, held at La Gata Foro Bar, featured live music, community awards, cake, and a drag show. But the anniversary also served as an opportunity to reflect on the purpose behind the project’s launch in August 2025: to provide a space designed specifically for lesbian and sapphic women, as well as transgender and nonbinary people.
The initiative was created by writer Adriana Batista and visual artist Naomi Quino, who recognized the need for a gathering place outside the Romantic Zone that would be particularly accessible to the local Mexican community.
Since then, Noche de Lenchas has become a monthly event that also serves as a platform for local talent and Spanish-language performances. Its regular events take place on the last Friday of every month at La Terraza 122, in the Versalles neighborhood, and, according to the organizers, draw an average attendance of about 50 people, even during the off-season.
A Night to Celebrate the Community
As part of its first anniversary, Noche de Lenchas dedicated a segment of the celebration to women associated with the project and to community members who have been active in areas such as activism, advocacy, art, and entrepreneurship.
Among them was Josefina Leal, an activist, mother, and advocate for the rights of diverse and lesbian-parent families, as well as a member of Puerto Vallarta’s second Diversity Council.
Leal’s activism has a deeply personal history. According to information shared during the event, she and her wife, Jess Cadro, faced a refusal by the Nuevo León Civil Registry to register both of them as mothers of their son, who was conceived through artificial insemination. The couple began a legal battle to secure legal recognition of both mothers and ultimately obtained a favorable ruling.
As a member of the Diversity Council, Leal also presented the initiative “Agreement for the Recognition, Visibility, and Protection of Diverse Families in Puerto Vallarta,” aimed at promoting institutional recognition, non-discrimination, and greater visibility for families headed by lesbians.
Jess Cadro was also honored during the celebration. She recently participated, along with her son—who is now 10 years old—in a tour by the Vallarta Azteca Dance School through Montenegro and Turkey to represent Mexico at an international folk dance festival. For Noche de Lenchas, her participation also brought the representation of diverse mothers to an international stage.
Another award went to Yess Cortez, the current volunteer coordinator at the Vallarta Gay+ Community Center, a performer, and a well-established figure in the local ballroom and lesbian communities.
Her project, *El Sex Siren*, which focuses on physical and political empowerment through eroticism, was selected to participate in the 23rd Latin American Congress on Sexology and Sexual Education, scheduled for October in Mexico City.
From the Stage to Entrepreneurship
The anniversary also honored Terry Banks and Kari Dietzeler, an American couple who are the co-founders and co-owners of Casa Terza.
The three-story facility, which features three swimming pools, has also served as a venue for activities aimed at lesbian women, transgender people, and non-binary individuals. The organization highlighted their work as entrepreneurs and their participation in initiatives that promote inclusion, harmony, and the visibility of the local lesbian community.
Other accolades were closely tied to the history of *Noche de Lenchas* itself.
Local singer Ana Lomelí has been part of the cast since the very first gathering and kicked off the anniversary celebration with live music. The organizers highlighted the enthusiasm and presence she has brought to the gatherings since the project began.
Patricia Aguilar was honored for her consistent support of the event and for bringing what the organizers described as joy, camaraderie, and enthusiasm to each edition.
Noche de Lenchas currently features a lineup that includes local artists such as Lomelí; Yess Cortez, a performer and body artist; the transgender singer Darien Legorreta; and DJs such as Adivines and Andy.
A Year of Building a Space of Our Own
The anniversary marks the first year of a project conceived not only as an evening of entertainment, but also as an opportunity for socializing and strengthening the community.
For Batista and Quino, one of the motivations behind Noche de Lenchas was precisely to create a space designed for a community they believed needed more spaces of its own in Puerto Vallarta, while also providing a platform for Mexican artists and Spanish-language projects.
One year later, the project continues to hold monthly meetings while expanding its network of artists, activists, female entrepreneurs, and attendees who participate in its activities.
Friday’s celebration brought that idea to the stage: in addition to celebrating the anniversary of Noche de Lenchas, the evening put names and faces to some of the women who, from various spheres, help build community in Puerto Vallarta.
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