Mexico's First Openly Gay Mayor, Benjamín Medrano Quezada, Shot Dead

In the Mexican city of Guadalajara, 59-year-old Benjamín Medrano Quezada — the first politician in Mexico’s history to become a mayor while openly declaring his homosexuality — was murdered. According to Infobae , the attack took place on July 7 while the politician was at an ice cream shop. According to police, an unknown person on a motorcycle rode up to the establishment and shot Medrano Quezada in the head. The politician died at the scene, and the suspect managed to escape. The identity of the deceased was officially confirmed by relatives a few days later.

Benjamín Medrano Quezada served as the mayor of Fresnillo (Zacatecas state) from 2013 to 2015, and from 2015 to 2018 he represented the state as a federal deputy. In addition to his political career, he was a singer and owner of a gay bar. Despite his open homosexuality, Quezada was Catholic and opposed same-sex marriage and the right of LGBT couples to adopt children, arguing that society was not ready for it and that it went against traditions.

In recent years, the former mayor had been under investigation. In 2022, he was accused of embezzling over 60 million pesos (about 3.4 million dollars) in public funds during his tenure on the board of trustees for the Zacatecas National Fair. Quezada’s relatives called these accusations political persecution. Reportedly, a court revoked his arrest warrant in 2025, so he was not a fugitive from justice at the time of his death. Police are currently investigating the motives for the murder.