GUIDE This is Europe going Absolut Lesbian. From south to north, east to west, this is our handpicked selection of Europe’s essential queer and lesbian festivals. It's a curated line-up of music, film, and performance arts across the continent.

COPENHAGEN This is a snapshot from my upcoming book about lesbian/queer life in Europe. A monologue with Swedish non-binary artist Hedda Bauer. On how they create their own queer bubble with friends, clothes, hair and makeup. ”This fur coat is like armour. It's a big pink fake bear fur. It looks like a teddy, but it's definitely armour against the rest of the world.”

HEBDEN BRIDGE Nothing to see here. Just a regular pub lunch. This perfectly sums up the attitude of lesbians in Hebden Bridge. Despite being the lesbian capital of the UK, they don't seem to want to make a big fuss. To me, that's like saying, "In the next village, men give birth, but we don't talk about it. It's really no big deal."

MALMÖ Lesbians are notorious for living with cats. Yet, we seldom speak about the depth of these relationships. When we lose a cat, we lose a family member. This is about the day I had to play God. And the brutal cost of setting love free.

BUDAPEST Orbán banned Pride. Budapest marched anyway. Among ordinary citizens, heterosexuals and world-famous activists, I stood with a 38.4-degree fever defending The Pink Road. This is what I witnessed.

UKRAINE Imagine the impossible and you get the Kyiv Pride March 2025. On June 14th, the LGBTQI+ community in Ukraine's capital will be ready to march. Only drones and missiles can stop them. Right after I finished this interview, Russia began bombing Kyiv night after night. Watch the full video.

GUIDE Pride Parades are the heartbeat of LGBTQ+ visibility and powerful celebrations of the joy we find in expressing who we are. To start, I've put together a list featuring the essential Pride Parades and Dyke Marches taking place in Europe's capitals. Let's take to the streets with rebellious hope!

ROME All roads lead to Rome. May I add The Pink One is still under construction. It was a challenge to find it. I did everything wrong, or completely right. It’s too early to tell. I am not sure mainstream Rome is ready for a solo lesbian traveler in her 50s. I was a suspect before I even opened my mouth.

BUDAPEST Within 24 hours, Budapest Pride was banned. Why? The government is using 'child protection' laws to push a narrative that equates LGBTQ+ individuals with pedophilia. I reached out to Hungarian lesbians and queers to get their reactions.

SITGES I can't claim to understand what it's like to be a gay man, but a week in Sitges, south of Barcelona, gave me a glimpse into a different world. I was immediately struck by the sheer number of spaces dedicated to the community – bars, festivals, and clubs – and the comfort with which gay men held hands in public, a sight I rarely see elsewhere. It made me realize how much visibility and acceptance matter. This is my take on an off-season week in the Spanish gay paradise.

PARIS Paris! Another window into what my life could be. One street had two lesbian bars next to each other, and there were four more in the city. I talked to strangers. They spoke back. We tried even those times we did not speak each other's language. It was excitement. Curiosity. A sensation of being happy to be alive sharing a moment together. These are six scenes from queer Paris.

SKALA ERESSOS Lesbian relationships? They can be a wild ride. For many of us, it's the biggest mystery to crack. At the Sappho Women's Festival in Skala Eressos, I met Dr. Ruth Schwartz, who shares her secrets to building healthy, lasting connections and mastering lesbian dating.

TRAHÜTTEN As the far-right holds a steady grip on Austria, spaces for the queer community are challenged and norm-breaking people are once again under attack. But in the countryside, a queer comeback is brewing. Artists Io Tondolo and Itshe Petz have opened Austria’s first queer hotel. Here, even the eggs come from a gay farmer.

LESBOS Berlin and Skala Eressos. Two of my favorite lesbians in the world. On the surface, they seem worlds apart. But as I started writing, I realised that Skala Eressos might just be Berlin's long-lost twin sister. A better match is hard to find.

LESBOS The Greek woman, in her late 70s threw us a curveball that night. We were enjoying beers on our balconies when, out of the blue, she strutted onto the scene like a mischievous Romeo.

GUIDE Do you ever go to Berlin and wonder where the local lesbians go? Like a female Dante, Victoria will take your hand and guide you through her personal lesbian Berlin paradiso. Think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet of must-visit places in what many consider the best queer city in the world.

BERLIN: I went to one of the best lesbian cities on earth. I was going to stay three nights and ended up staying two weeks. This round in Berlin mesmerized me. At the same time I could not help wondering if I had come too late to the party.

BERLIN Just like people can leave you unmoved, cities can too. Berlin is just not one of them. It has marked me like a tattoo and has given me the lesbian fever.

BERLIN The lesbian scene in Berlin hit me hard. I felt a sense of belonging and discovered what I'd been searching for. This experience also highlighted the complexities and challenges of being a lesbian, making me understand why it can be confusing.

BERLIN My search for connection on my lesbian tour led me to constantly ask locals about places to meet other women. Then, in Berlin, I stumbled upon the Silverfuture bar, and it was like hitting the jackpot. The energy there was so unexpected and exciting, it left me pleasantly surprised.