LGBT Guide 1
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LG BT LGBT Vienna online Publication details LGBT.vienna.info Publishedby: Vienna TouristBoard, 1030 Vienna www.facebook.com/LGBTVienna Editor:RobertSeydel Design: seite zwei –branding &design AllofVienna online Layout:Christian Eckart www.vienna.info No liability accepted forerrorsoromissions. www.facebook.com/ViennaTouristBoard Content subjecttochange withoutnotice. www.instagram.com/viennatouristboard Printed in Austria by www.youtube.com/Vienna AV +Astoria Druckzentrum GmbH events.vienna.info Copy deadline: October 2018 #ViennaNow TheViennaTourist Boardstrongly believesin promoting diversity and equality.However, in theinterests of readability eitherthe feminine or masculineforms of wordshave been chosen – something that particularlyappliestothe original Germantext. This is in no wayintendedtosignal Printed in accordance with the Austrian Ecolabel guidelinesfor environmentally compatible printed agenderbias. materials, AV +Astoria Druckzentrum GmbH, UW No.734 Thank youfor your understanding. definitivedestination forLGBTvisitorsfrom all overthe world. orial The LGBT scene is growing all the time. it Themotto: no weekend without aparty.And Ed like everything else in the city,the partiesare in aclassoftheir own. Have youeverdanced the night awayinanold slaughterhouse,or abuilding created Otto Wagner?Numerous cafésand barscatering to the community areclustered around Naschmarkt, close to the historic first district. Thereissomething to suit everytaste. Thereisnever adull moment in Vienna, Rigaud as the city offersmuch morethan athriving eter /P LGBT community.Insummer2018 it was named the World’sMost Liveable City fol- ourismus lowing astudy by the UK’s The Economist ienT magazine –making it the first European city ©W to receivethis honor.One of the main rea- sons behind the decision wasthat the city Dear reader, is exceptionallysafe. And then there is its cultural life, whichissecond to none.Itbears the colorsofour city’s coat of arms may repeating: therereally is something to suit well be redand white,but in reality Vienna everytaste.Inaddition to classicsbygreat is alot morecolorful –ascolorful as arain- artists suchasBruegel, Caravaggio,Klimt, bow, in fact. Vienna is the Central European Schiele and their peers, Vienna is home to hotspot formembersofthe worldwide LGBT a flourishing contemporaryart scene.More community.The Austrian capital wasvoted and moreeventsare taking place in the city, Destination of the Year in the2018 Australian moreand more galleriesare setting up shop LGBTIAwards. And GayTravel.com, one of here, and the artscene is booming. Street the world’slargest LGBT travelplatforms, artisasmuch apartofthe look and feel of voted Vienna its top international destina- the city these days as St. Stephen‘s Cathe- tion. Twoawardsthat we areveryproud of dral and the Giant Ferris Wheel. The Vienna –and come as awelcome endorsement of State Opera, Musikverein and Konzerthaus all our hardwork.Vienna offerssomething areall bastions of musical excellence.And unique forthe community,and thereare a then thereisViennese wine and our world- varietyoffactorsbehind these awards. Only famous Viennese cuisine.Inshort: Vienna is in Vienna will you find the RainbowParade, synonymous with auniqueblend of historic our very ownChristopher Street Day, which splendor and contemporary openness. takesalap of the world’smost beautiful Alustfor lifeand apassion forenjoyment boulevard:the Ringstrasse.ItisonlyinVienna run through the city’s DNA –and that of the that an HIV/AIDScharity likethe Life Ball at City people who call it home. Hallcould take place underthe patronage of Come and see what we mean!Welook the mayor. Andonlyherewill you find atradi- forwardtoseeing yousoon. tional ballattended by membersofthe LGBT community dressed up in tails, tuxedos or ballgowns:the RainbowBall.EuroPride2019 in Vienna –exactly 50 yearsafter the heavy handed raids targeting the community at the Stonewall Inn in NewYork –and the open- ing up of the institution of marriage to every- NorbertKettner one on January1,2019makethe city the Managing Director,Vienna Tourist Board ©WienTourismus/Paul Bauer LGBT Wien enna Vi LGBT BT Vienna LG Vienna is firmly planted on the global LGBT map: the world’smost livable city’s stand-out featuresinclude a thriving scene as well as brimming with art, cultureand enjoyment. Relaxed, friendly,romantic and open: Vienna neverfails to cast its spell on visitors. LGBT travelersare alwaysmade to feel especially welcomeinthe former imperial city. As is normally the wayinasmall country, the capital city –population 1.8million, rising to 2.3million once the greater metropolitan area is included –isalso the center of LGBT VIENNA AWARDED TITLE lifeinAustria. Vienna is home to countless OF BEST DESTINATION international organizations including the UN, Vienna‘s status as atop LGBT destination is OPEC, OSCE and UNIDO which have many official –the city nowhas awardsconfirm- LGBT and lesbian employees from all over ing it. In March 2018 the Austrian capital the world, making the communityevenmore sawoffserious competition from locations diverse. such as NewYork,Los Angeles and Las Vegas to take the title of Destination of the Year in the Australian LGBTIAwards. And in early January2018 GayTravel.com –one of the largestplatforms cateringtoLGBT travelers–crownedVienna its Best Inter- national Destination. In 2017 the Vienna Tourist Boardwas identifiedinthe UN World Tourism Organization’s SecondGlobalRe- portonLGBTTourism as abestpractice destination and named as an “iconic desti- nation forLGBTtravelers“: As youwould expect in acosmopolitan city likeVienna, LGBT couplescan freely walk hand-in-hand in the capital. Bauer aul /P ourismus ienT ©W KunsthistorischesMuseum Vienna Vienna has alwaysplayedapioneering enna Vi role in Austria when it comestopromoting BT LGBT equality. This can be seen in the well- LG established keyeventsfor the community, such as the LifeBalland Vienna Pride which take place inside and in front of City Hall. And then thereare the breakthroughs in society that the city has fought so hardto achieve:whencivil partnerships were intro- duced on January1,2010,Vienna City Coun- cil opened up all of the venuesavailable for heterosexual weddings to LGBT couples. 2019 will finally giveeveryone the free- dom to marryinAustria,making the capital the ideal wedding and honeymoon location.1 The municipal anti-discriminationagen- cy forsame sexand transgender lifestyles Stemper (WASt) supports NGOs and projects aimed hristian at improving equality and visibility forgays, /C lesbians, and transgender people.WASt providessupportand advice in discrimi- ourismus nation cases, runs education and aware- ienT ness programs, is politically active, initiates ©W projects and events at home and abroad and LifeBallonRathausplatz participatesinvarious Austrian and global networks. It servesasaninterface between and one of Otto Wagner’s ornamentalArt the LGBT community,policymakersand Nouveaupavilions. Partyingall night long theauthorities,and supports grassroots couldn’t be easier in Vienna, starting with projects. agentlewarm up at one of the capital’s The City of Vienna is afounder member numerous LGBT bars. Anyone looking to of the international RainbowCitiesNetwork. really work up asweat should head forone The network is made up of citiesthat active- of thesaunas. The city’s LGBT scene is clus- ly defend andpromote therights of LGBTIQ tered around Naschmarkt,with the Türkis people. And Austria’s first rainbowfamily Rosa Lila Villa at its heart. Occupied by center is located in Vienna’s fifth district. It activists in 1982, the property nowhosts offersadvice and information and aspace various advice centers, as well as Café forlesbian, gay, bisexual, intersexand trans- Willendorfinits laid-back, leafycourtyard. gender parents and their children to get to Cafés, bars, clubs, fetish hangouts and knowone another,aswell as homosexual saunas stay open round the clock in some people looking to startafamily. cases, adding varietytoany trip.The majority of them areclustered around the partof TECHNO AND WALTZ the sixth district between Naschmarkt and Vienna’s LGBT scene has something forev- MariahilferStrasse,with another hotspot to eryone.The motto: no weekend without a be found on the other side of Naschmarkt in party.Two to three different club nights is the fifth district. While quite compact, the the bareminimum. The music can be any- thing from chart topperstoindie rock, elec- tronic,techno or Balkan pop.Venue-wise, 1 At thetimeofgoing to print (October2018) the law Vienna also has all the basescovered, with opening up marriage foreveryone had yettoenter into force. However,onDecember4,2017 the Austrian Constitu- locations as varied as an old slaughterhouse tional Courtpassedaresolution lifting the restrictionsthat had previously prevented same-sexcouplesfrommarrying. Thecourt basedits decision on anti-discriminationlaw and the principle of equality of all citizens. The restrictions are due to be lifted at midnight on December 31,2018. enna Vi BT LG Bauer aul /P ourismus ienT ©W Each year theRainbowParadedraws around200,000 visitors. capital’sscene is still big enough to offer HAVING ABALL something foreveryone. As community Manyofthe returning LGBT events on the stalwartand drag queen TiefeKümmernis calendar cannotbefound anywherebut confirms: “Thereisathriving LGBTIQ scene, Vienna:the Life Ball, forexample, is the which is not too wild.” She adds: “The scene world’smost spectacular HIV/AIDScharity in Vienna is big enough that it can diversify,