My visit to Buenos Aires was full of surprises, but perhaps none was as welcome as discovering that the city considers itself the gay capital of Latin America. The iconic Eva Perón aside, tango originated as a dance between men, and same-sex civil unions received legal recognition back in 2003.

In BA there isn’t one “gayborhood,” per se. Instead, gay-friendly cafes, restaurants, bars, and clubs are dotted throughout different barrios. I snapped the photo here while walking along the cobblestone streets of San Telmo last Sunday, shopping its famous market, Feria de San Telmo (look closely at the upper balcony). With nary a rainbow necklace or Tom of Finland poster for sale, there was quite the selection of colorful wares and I did pick up some fantastic art pieces.

While BA is by no means perfect, on some levels (not just this one), it’s miles ahead of U.S. cities. My visit gave me a richer perspective of what’s possible when folks are allowed to live free and be who they are, not who we might wish them to be.

I touched down in Chicago early Saturday morning, leaving me much too tired to think of heading down to the Gay Pride Parade this afternoon. For the last several years, I’ve planned to put together the ultimate Pride playlist. There are countless similarly themed compilations out there, so I don’t pretend mine would be an original endeavor. I’d try to veer from the too-expected, of course, but there’s no denying the power of this Ultra Naté track from 1997. She’s a class act, and “Free” is a classic:

Wherever you are in this crazy, mixed-up world, always remember to live your life and do only what you want to do.