Germany is one of the best
countries in Europe in which to be
gay (in German,
schwul ).
The only real legal restriction is
that the male age of consent is
18, and on the whole it's a
tolerant place as far as attitudes
go.
All the big cities , and
especially Berlin, Hamburg,
Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt,
have thriving gay scenes, as do
many medium-sized and even
relatively small towns.
Despite the Nazi interlude,
when homosexuals were forced to
wear pink triangles and lesbianism
was deemed to be non-existent,
Berlin in particular has a good
record for tolerating an open and
energetic gay and lesbian scene.
As far back as the 1920s
Christopher Isherwood and W.H.
Auden both came here, drawn to a
city where, in sharp contrast with
oppressive London, there was a gay
community which did not live in
fear of harassment and legal
persecution.
Germany's most widely read gay magazine
is Männer , which comes
out bi-monthly; there are also
numerous local publications.
Outside the major cities,
Germany's lesbian community
is perforce more muted than its
male counterpart; being openly out
in rural areas, particularly those
where Roman Catholicism remains
strong, is virtually impossible.
Alternatively, GAIA's Guid
e, available from bookstores in
Britain and Germany, lists lesbian
bars and contact addresses
throughout the country. Worth
scanning while you're in Germany
is UKZ-Unsere Zeitung , the
monthly lesbian magazine.
