Not a lot happened for me in January – most exams and classes were cancelled so I just focused on getting the work I did have done and out of the way. So I want to use this blog to talk about living in Prague on a social level. As a black, queer woman I did have a list of concerns that ran through my head when coming to Prague and I’m glad to say many of them were unfounded, though that’s not to say everything was the same.
Gender – This I’d say has was the area of least concern for me and I was proven correct! Prague is one of the safest cities in Europe and many of my friends have gone out and been alright. It is still important to go about life with the same level as caution though as there are weird people everywhere. In general, and this applies for all categories, the closer you are to the city centre the more chill people tend to be and you aren’t likely to be bothered by anyone. That’s not to say the outer regions of Prague are dangerous by any means but all the unpleasant encounters I’ve had have been away from the centre.
Sexuality – Prague is still a very conservative country and gay marriages are still not legal but that seems to be more of a political stance. There are a few gay bars around Prague and many places that identify as queer/queer-friendly spaces. Many of my friends here are openly queer and have not reported any particular issues since living here. The university also hosts a LGBTQ+ conference that lets students get together to talk about their experiences and then head to a drag show later.
Race – As with gender, race isn’t really an issue in the city centre. Prague has a lot of tourism and many international students so bothering about peoples appliance doesn’t really happen. It is important to note that there is more tension with Vietnamese and Roma people due to their migration into Prague, but I have not heard or seen any of that since being here, this information mostly comes from my own research. Unfortunately I did experience a brief racist interaction after just leaving my dormitory but that occurred after months of living here already, and on the whole I have only experienced curious glances and genuine questions, so it is important not to let these minor occurrences affect your perception of the whole city.
-Heaven: There was an event held by the Erasmus team that gathered people from the LGBTQ+ community to talk about the queer experience and the legal situation in Prague around queer relationships. At the end of the talk, we all went to the “Heaven” nightclub, where I saw my first drag show. The club is a lot of fun, as has karaoke events from time to time!
– Friends: I didn’t personally go to this club, but my friends did and had a lot of fun there, so I’ve added this recommendation on their behalf.
The previously mentioned Bohemia Brews and Laskava cafe are both queer friendly places as well, and there are many other places in the city centre too, i just didn’t have the time to visit them all.