Not-so-gay postcard from Croatia
Under the title ‘A not-so-gay postcard from the Med’, an upsetting article has been published in the ‘comment is free’ section of The Guardian site.
This is an excpert:
Croatia is trying to promote a ‘gay-friendly’ image but it looks more like lip service to EU standards than serious change
Croatia promotes tourism with the slogan: “Croatia, the Mediterranean as it once was”. It might be nearer the mark to say: “Croatia, Central Europe as it was in the 1930s and 1940s”.
The postcard beauty that characterises this former Yugoslav republic with its breathtaking landscapes and its unique archipelago often finds itself at odds with another reality, that of its society, haunted by ghosts of the past, ridden by an astonishing intolerance against minorities, in particular the gay one.
My own postcard dream was abruptly shattered one evening last year. While walking back home along the central Jelacic Square in Zagreb, I was chased and beaten by a group of about 10 men. As their insults indicated, I had been deemed not masculine-looking enough. As my screams filled the air, the crowd on the square stayed aloof. And as blood dripped from my head, the two policemen who happened to pass by chose to ignore my assailants and interrogate me, refusing even to offer me protection on my way back home….
Read the whole article and comments at this link
One Response to “Not-so-gay postcard from Croatia”
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is Croatia as closed mind as that?
Jeez I come from Ireland and was thinking of traveling to Croatia — but if the police stand around and don’t protect visitors then I’d think twice about whether to go.
So does the same go for black, women etc? I found this comment by accident and it gives me impression is a country with lot of tensions. Maybe not somewhere to spend my money and relax if it’s still stuck in the 1900s