Rachel Mclaren, FCLC 2025

MAJOR: Psychology and Anthropology

BIO: Rachel Mclaren is a third year student here at Fordham University majoring in Anthropology and Psychology. Rachels' research interests in cultural anthropology lie specifically in the effect of place and physical structures on the mental formation of self and community. She plans to pursue law after her undergraduate and is dedicated to exploring how self-led research will affect her career path and academic journey.

PROJECT TITLE: On the Margins of Margins: Queer Existence in La Paz Abstract

MENTOR: Aseel Sawalha, Department of Anthropology

ABSTRACT: This paper will explore the sites and spaces queer people in La Paz, Bolivia occupy. It is a brief vignette of queer imaginings, existence, and space-making as it pertains to carving out third spaces and asserting the mundanity and belonging of queers in a state in which law does not discriminate against LGBTQIA+ individuals but does not guarantee those same individuals' comfort, respect, and social fellowship. The author explores the relationship of a DIY yet legitimate space in the queer community of bohemian La Paz to their understanding of purpose, identity, both personal and national, and well-being. Participant observation and in-depth interviews were used to determine the function, importance, and mechanisms of the venue, El Bestiario, in serving as a developmental pillar in the queer community of the city. Observations of drag performance, theatre, art creation, and community building, resulted in the interpretation that this site, which stood singularly at the intersection of education, entertainment, community development, and celebratory modes of existence for the LGBTQIA+ functions as a physical manifestation of the progression of critical work in La Paz’ society. Further, the author demonstrates how it is inextricably linked with the many activist groups and ideas that have shaped the environment for its existence, such as feminist and indigenous rights groups and academics, who create the political foundation that the cultural production integral to this venue is placed within and negotiates.