LGBTQ+ asylum seekers across Europe struggle to prove their sexuality to find safety.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

LGBTQ+ asylum seekers across Europe struggle to prove their sexuality to find safety. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

So, what colour are your bedsheets?

Queer people are being targeted everywhere we turn. In its 2021 report, ILGA—the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association—has warned of a stark rise in abuse and hate speech against LGBTQ+ people. This is not just coming from increasingly organised groups of bigots on social media, but also from government and mainstream media. Is Europe paying attention to these warning signs?This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Queer people are being targeted everywhere we turn. In its 2021 report, ILGA—the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association—has warned of a stark rise in abuse and hate speech against LGBTQ+ people. This is not just coming from increasingly organised groups of bigots on social media, but also from government and mainstream media. Is Europe paying attention to these warning signs? This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Why Europe isn’t the Gay-Friendly Haven People Think it Is

Queer Roma people's experiences are shaping LGBTQ+ activism in Romania, one of Europe's most religious societies.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Queer Roma people's experiences are shaping LGBTQ+ activism in Romania, one of Europe's most religious societies. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Queer and Roma(nian)

Although Italy still lags behind many of its neighbours when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, pockets of the southern region of Campania have been havens for the femminielli community for hundreds of years.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Although Italy still lags behind many of its neighbours when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, pockets of the southern region of Campania have been havens for the femminielli community for hundreds of years. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

The Femminielli of Naples

What if queer people aren’t the product of their own trauma—a broken part in an otherwise close-to-perfect system—but it’s actually the system that is broken, and queer people have merely found a way to thrive within it?

Queer Stories in Pastel Paperbacks

Imagine a space where all parts of your identity can be expressed, self-acceptance is encouraged, and a sense of community can be found. For queer Muslims, who often find themselves excluded at the crossroads of their multilayered identities, such spaces can provide an antidote to the discrimination and injustices they experience.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Imagine a space where all parts of your identity can be expressed, self-acceptance is encouraged, and a sense of community can be found. For queer Muslims, who often find themselves excluded at the crossroads of their multilayered identities, such spaces can provide an antidote to the discrimination and injustices they experience. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Between Ourselves and God

How a queer video game character made Edwin van de Scheur fall in love.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

How a queer video game character made Edwin van de Scheur fall in love. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Waiting for the Cutscene

Fado Bicha defies fado’s traditions and brings lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex themes into the core of Portuguese traditional music. It’s queer because it’s not ashamed of showing itself: “Fado is rooted in four elements: melody, harmony, rhythm and lyrics. Its main role has always been to tell a story: about the city, about the joys and sorrows of love.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Fado Bicha defies fado’s traditions and brings lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex themes into the core of Portuguese traditional music. It’s queer because it’s not ashamed of showing itself: “Fado is rooted in four elements: melody, harmony, rhythm and lyrics. Its main role has always been to tell a story: about the city, about the joys and sorrows of love. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

All of this is queer, all of this is fado

Best described as a “cant”—a form of language spoken by a group and that is unintelligible to outsiders—Polari was mostly spoken by British gay men until the mid-20th century. Consisting of around 500 words, it resembles a mixture of English with Cockney rhyming slang, Italian and Yiddish. Speakers used it for secrecy, to identify each other and for camp humour.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Best described as a “cant”—a form of language spoken by a group and that is unintelligible to outsiders—Polari was mostly spoken by British gay men until the mid-20th century. Consisting of around 500 words, it resembles a mixture of English with Cockney rhyming slang, Italian and Yiddish. Speakers used it for secrecy, to identify each other and for camp humour. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

A Secret Love Language

“Integration has nothing to do with learning the Chancellor’s name.” Reflecting broader society, social spaces specifically conceived to welcome migrants and refugees are often marked by heteronormativity. Instead of finding a safe haven, queer migrants are once again forced to hide their sexual preferences and live in fear of being found out as they did back home.This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

“Integration has nothing to do with learning the Chancellor’s name.” Reflecting broader society, social spaces specifically conceived to welcome migrants and refugees are often marked by heteronormativity. Instead of finding a safe haven, queer migrants are once again forced to hide their sexual preferences and live in fear of being found out as they did back home. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Carving Out Your Own Path to Integration

Looking for European stories? You can find readouts of our stories on this channel.You can find all of our articles at areweeurope.com. Or, if you prefer print, you can go to areweeurope.com/store and get your hands on the fine print.We would love to hear what you think. Listen in. Tune in. Drop out.

Adolfo Martínez was kicked out by his parents when he was only 18—because he liked boys. Eight years later, he set out to create an organisation that would help other LGBTQ+ youth who, like him, had been victims of physical attacks, or struggled financially. Respeta is a bottom-up organisation in Madrid that, for the past ten years, has been offering educational and sports training to LGBTQ+ youth. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Adolfo Martínez was kicked out by his parents when he was only 18—because he liked boys. Eight years later, he set out to create an organisation that would help other LGBTQ+ youth who, like him, had been victims of physical attacks, or struggled financially. Respeta is a bottom-up organisation in Madrid that, for the past ten years, has been offering educational and sports training to LGBTQ+ youth. This story is a part of our magazine—The Queer Issue.

Fight for My Rights

From the 1960s to the 1990s, four Georgian women ruled the world stage—also including Nana Alexandria and Nana Ioseliani. Dubbed druzhina—a combat-unit—by commentators, they inspired a mushrooming of chess schools up and down the country. From our latest print magazine, this story explores the history of Georgian women chess players and their impact on the game.

From the 1960s to the 1990s, four Georgian women ruled the world stage—also including Nana Alexandria and Nana Ioseliani. Dubbed druzhina—a combat-unit—by commentators, they inspired a mushrooming of chess schools up and down the country. From our latest print magazine, this story explores the history of Georgian women chess players and their impact on the game.

A Chess Set for the Bride

It is common for European sport clubs to sign immigrant athletes, but their treatment of them is often disrespectful. Some days they are praised for their spectacular accomplishments, other days they are barred from competition altogether. At times, they are even accused of possessing unfair genetic and environmental advantages, having come from the East African highlands to steal spots from their European-born counterparts. This story is from our latest magazine, which explores the struggles of being an African career athlete in Europe.

It is common for European sport clubs to sign immigrant athletes, but their treatment of them is often disrespectful. Some days they are praised for their spectacular accomplishments, other days they are barred from competition altogether. At times, they are even accused of possessing unfair genetic and environmental advantages, having come from the East African highlands to steal spots from their European-born counterparts. This story is from our latest magazine, which explores the struggles of being an African career athlete in Europe.

The Long Run

Throughout Europe, carnival marks the start of the Christian fasting season of Lent, and typically involves celebrations such as parades and street parties. Elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their identity. This story from our latest print magazine explores the role of women in  European carnivals.

Throughout Europe, carnival marks the start of the Christian fasting season of Lent, and typically involves celebrations such as parades and street parties. Elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their identity. This story from our latest print magazine explores the role of women in  European carnivals.

Tights to Shine

The Ottery Tar Barrels are a twist on customary Guy Fawkes night celebrations, an annual British tradition normally commemorated with bonfires or fireworks. Similar events—where barrels are rolled rather than carried—have historically been part of some celebrations, especially in the South West. But it is believed that running with the barrel on your shoulders is a tradition unique to Ottery. This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which uncovers why English villagers carry lit barrels of tar once a year.

The Ottery Tar Barrels are a twist on customary Guy Fawkes night celebrations, an annual British tradition normally commemorated with bonfires or fireworks. Similar events—where barrels are rolled rather than carried—have historically been part of some celebrations, especially in the South West. But it is believed that running with the barrel on your shoulders is a tradition unique to Ottery. This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which uncovers why English villagers carry lit barrels of tar once a year.

Devon’s Baptism of Fire

In 1974, the greatest Dutch team of all time had been beaten by West Germany in the World Cup Final in Munich. Fourteen years later, they returned to Germany under the same coach, Rinus Michels, and won the European Championships. To this day it remains their only major title, yet it is not so much the final that everyone remembers as the semi-final. The cathartic victory over the Germans in Hamburg was worth more than the trophy. It was revenge. This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores if when the Dutch national football team painted the continent orange in 1988, Europe was already looking forward to a brighter future.

In 1974, the greatest Dutch team of all time had been beaten by West Germany in the World Cup Final in Munich. Fourteen years later, they returned to Germany under the same coach, Rinus Michels, and won the European Championships. To this day it remains their only major title, yet it is not so much the final that everyone remembers as the semi-final. The cathartic victory over the Germans in Hamburg was worth more than the trophy. It was revenge. This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores if when the Dutch national football team painted the continent orange in 1988, Europe was already looking forward to a brighter future.

The Generation Game

This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores wheel gymnastics, a vertigo-inducing discipline, also known by its original name of Rhönrad. 

This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores wheel gymnastics, a vertigo-inducing discipline, also known by its original name of Rhönrad.

On a Roll

In the Basque country, stone lifting is one of 18 officially recognised rural sports rooted in traditional lifestyle and folklore. Others include wood chopping, hay bale lifting, and the cart game. Their roots go back to everyday activities performed by farmers and quarry workers to make a living. Today, they are especially popular during local festivals, where betting is commonplace.This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which uncovers how  rural sports keep folklore alive in the Basque Country. 

In the Basque country, stone lifting is one of 18 officially recognised rural sports rooted in traditional lifestyle and folklore. Others include wood chopping, hay bale lifting, and the cart game. Their roots go back to everyday activities performed by farmers and quarry workers to make a living. Today, they are especially popular during local festivals, where betting is commonplace.This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which uncovers how  rural sports keep folklore alive in the Basque Country.

Written in Stone

Line dancing was born in the United Stated in the 1970s, as country music merged with the disco scene. Today, it’s practiced worldwide, and is associated with the mythology of the American West.This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores how line dancing became all the rage in post-socialist East Germany.

Line dancing was born in the United Stated in the 1970s, as country music merged with the disco scene. Today, it’s practiced worldwide, and is associated with the mythology of the American West.This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores how line dancing became all the rage in post-socialist East Germany.

Welcome to the Wild West

In Sweden, the story of pétanque goes back to the 1950s, when a French-Swedish man called Jacques Adlivankin brought the game back from a visit to France. He introduced it in the suburbs of Stockholm, where it was initially played on football pitches. This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores how the boulebar finally democratised pétanque in Sweden.

In Sweden, the story of pétanque goes back to the 1950s, when a French-Swedish man called Jacques Adlivankin brought the game back from a visit to France. He introduced it in the suburbs of Stockholm, where it was initially played on football pitches. This is a story from our latest magazine on sports which explores how the boulebar finally democratised pétanque in Sweden.

Talk About a “Reboulution”

Looking for European stories? You can find readouts of our stories on this channel. You can find all of our articles at <a href="http://areweeurope.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">areweeurope.com</a>. Or, if you prefer print, you can go to <a href="http://areweeurope.com/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">areweeurope.com/store</a> and get your hands on the fine print. We would love to hear what you think. Listen in. Tune in. Drop out.

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