Bt of LGBTQ+ Germany: Highlights of a Gay Couple Road Trip

Contents:

• GAY GERMANY TRAVEL GUI
• SUMMER THE CY: A GAY MUNICH WEEKEND TRIP
• THE ULTIMATE GAY GERMANY ERARY: 2 WEEKS CLUDG GAY ATRIA
• AND THE GAYT CY EUROPE IS... (DISVER OUR TOP 10 WNERS)
• 14 GAY-IENDLY CI THAT LGBT TRAVELLERS LOVE
• GAY MUNICH TRAVEL GUI – GERMANY

GAY GERMANY TRAVEL GUI

But actually, the first public LGBTQ+ rights prott took place Germany, over a century earlier, 1867—one year before the term ‘homosexualy’ was ed, German! The Nazis ma more severe and imprisoned 10, 000 gay men (and some lbians, although they were not vered by Paragraph 175) ncentratn mps, where they were marked wh the pk triangle—and a majory died. But there is plenty to see today to remember the highs and lows of German LGBTQ+ history, om the Monument to Homosexuals Persecuted unr Natnal Socialism and the Schwul Mm (Gay Mm), both Berl, to the Dtsche Eiche bar and bathhoe Munich, where Freddie Mercury hung out the 1970s.

And let’s not fet Bavaria’s gay (and/or queer) kg, Mad Ludwig, and his Wagnerian fantasy stle, Nschwanste—the spiratn for Disney’s Snow Whe’s Castle. Germany ranks among the top gay-iendly vatn statns acrdg to the Spartac Gay Travel Inx 2018 due to the gay-iendly environment the major ci like Berl, Hamburg, and Cologne. But addn to some mugs of the bt beer the world, which we as beer lovers had to try durg our 4-day stay Munich, there had entirely different thgs planned out for our first Munich Gay Cy Trip.

Bee even if Munich is the pal of the more nservative German state of Bavaria, the cy on the Isar is one of the most LGBTQ+ and gay-iendly ci Germany.

SUMMER THE CY: A GAY MUNICH WEEKEND TRIP

Adventuro and cur as we are, we started our journey wh a guid cy tour explorg the heart of the geo cy center of Munich while learng more about the tertg queer stori of the Bavarian pal, startg wh Freddie Mercury, the Dtsche Eiche, and the gayborhood Glockenbackviertel. Loted close to the cy center nearby to the gayborhood Glockenbachviertel wh shoppg and sights, the gay-iendly acmodatn offers spac loft hotel rooms wh optnal breakfast, a pantry kchen, a fns center, and a Cocktailbar the playful spac lobby and lounge. Generally speakg, many Munich rints themselv do not know that Freddie Mercury lived Munich for about five years and th beme the cy’s gay in the early 80s.

Acrdg to the Spartac Gay Travel Inx, Germany is rankg among the top 10 LGBT-iendly untri the world and is known as a very welg and gay-iendly untry acrdg to the annual Gay Travel Inx – and, of urse, to our own queer experienc!

THE ULTIMATE GAY GERMANY ERARY: 2 WEEKS CLUDG GAY ATRIA

Photo: Marc ZimmerGay GermanyThe pnacle for many Euro-trippg gay travellers, Germany is renowned for fiercely progrsive attus and laws that allow everyone to live any way they choose. In Germany, you n fd some of the bt gay venu anywhere the world, wh lendars packed full of annual events such as Gay Pri sprgtime and other niche LGBTQ ftivals throughout the Berl and Cologne, the gay scene is particularly stand out, profferg broad muni of rabow-flag-flyg lols where ternatnals are warmly weled. Nicknamed ‘Mahattan’ for this very reason, Frankfurt offers a vibrant nightlife and an tablished gay scene centred on the cy’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’ on Alte Gasse the downtown area.

As well as allowg for Julie Andrews themed photos, gay Salzburg is surprisgly smopolan wh a lively party scene ma all the better thanks to the high number of ternatnal tourists. There’s no better place to see this actn than wh the Glockenbachviertel neighbourhood where hipster bars and the cy’s gay scene li on quat 18th-century plazas and wh grand four-storey terrac.

Well-tablished sce the 1960s, Munich gay life is active all year round but peaks durg Pri Ftival and once aga durg Gay Oktoberft, the rnchier versn of the famed ternatnal beer ftival. For the bt revelri Gay Nürnberg, vis durg the two-week Old Town Ftival or Internatnal Organ Week when folk mic tak over the entire Old Town. Wh the centre of gay Drn, don’t miss the Theaterplatz, a buzzg market square showsg Italian high Renaissance sign si-by-si wh the rather more classil styl of Semper Opera Hoe.

AND THE GAYT CY EUROPE IS... (DISVER OUR TOP 10 WNERS)

When night falls, whether you’re lookg for the eedom of a dark room or a kky fetish lounge, Berl n surely satisfy, though you might want to set your safe word ’s openns is no secret and well as disverg s weird and wonrful gay subcultur, you’ll also fd more faiar gay nightlife the neighbourhood of Schöneberg or at any step along the cy’s Queer Walkg Tour, which also pass a number of cultural spots, such as world’s first queer mm and var queer bookshops. Gay Pri – otherwise known as the Christopher Street Day Para – isn’t the only queer ftival vyg for your attentn, however, as Berl leather fetish weeks (there are two! Gay marriage and same-sex unns are legal almost 30 of the natns, allowg for untls pri celebratns to jo and a warm wele om tablished LGBTQ muni each.

On an afternoon Schöneberg, you’ll jo proud gay upl walkg the same historic streets where LGBTQ artists and activists once began the fight for gay rights, as early as the 1890s fact. You’ll fd a number of monuments around the cy memoratg the many LGBTQ victims of WWII, wh the Schwul Mm documentg the art, culture and history of Berl’s homosexual muny, which was long centred , Nollendorfplatz is still the place to be if you’d like to see the cy’s bt fetish clubs and leather bars, wh September brgg wh the Folsom Europe BDSM and subculture ftival.

As well as s progrsive lols and large gay muny, the cy self is a playground for gay travellers, most notably the Chue neighbourhood where there’s always some kd of event happeng. The third natn to legalize gay marriage back 2005, Spa’s pal has sce bee a mol for other untri, wh s equaly acts allowg for same-sex adoptn, marriage and legal safeguards agast discrimatn. As you might expect om such as liberal cy, many of Madrid’s gay bars have darkrooms the back, while hardre fetish bars and cisg are also mon.

14 GAY-IENDLY CI THAT LGBT TRAVELLERS LOVE

Drawn through wh waterways and nnected by hundreds of photogenic bridg, Amsterdam is the cy of the cyclist, allowg for scenic ris along the Prsengracht nal and the Amstel River which both bee awash wh para boats durg the annual gay nal pri.

At all other tim, you n fd Amsterdam’s gay scene centred on Reguliersdwarsstraat, particularly at the cy’s olst gay bar, Cafe t’ Mandje, a popular late-night meetg pot wh kschy dér datg back to the 1920s. While explorg the cy, be sure to look for the Homomonument, a se promoted as a livg monument to homosexuals opprsed and persecuted around the world, also learng more of the cy’s LGBT history at the Pk Pot rmatn sk close by.

This uld even be a rult of the cy’s long gay history, as London has hosted a steady stream of gay bars sce the 1700s, wh Soho beg the first gay district Europe. This area surroundg Old Compton Street central London remas the go-to place for 21st century gays, nstantly transformatn wh queer-oriented theatr, fés, sex shops and bookstor on every street.

GAY MUNICH TRAVEL GUI – GERMANY

As well as drkg outlets, mil theatre remas alive and well on London’s Wt End, wh gay mils and LGBTQ productns on the regular smaller venu and clubs such as Above The Stag. Copenhagen, DenmarkWh Denmark beg one of the first European natns to legalize same-sex marriage 2012 (and same-sex unns back 1989), ’s pal of Copenhagen certaly has the crentials to be crowned gay pal of Europe. Though smaller events like World Aids Day and the EuroGam are celebrated throughout the year, the pnacle event for the gay muny mt be Copenhagen Pri, which actually happens twice a year both June and well as your ual dance clubs, Copenhagen go one better wh a selectn of sophistited gay spots near Cy Hall, while the alternative scene meets nearer Central Statn or Vterbro, the cy’s old Red Light District.

To fd your people, head straight for La Marais, the only official gaybourhood of Paris which hosts the large majory of the cy’s gay bars, clubs, fés and LGBTQ bs.

Historilly speakg, Paris has always been a ltle queer, known rmally as the ‘Vice of Sodom’ the Middle Ag and havg legalised homosexualy as early as the French Revolutn back 1791.