‘A statement in itself’: Muslim-majority Kosovo’s first LGBTQ bar is a symbol of tolerance in a once oppressive society
- Bubble pub in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, is the Muslim-majority country’s first LGBTQ bar, its regular drag shows and social events making it a big hit
- The owner and performers say the bar represents change in a place where the queer community was once persecuted, but that there is still room for improvement
As the sun rises over Pristina, the call to prayer echoes through the Kosovo capital just as the patrons of its only LGBTQ bar wrap up a night of partying.
Once a bastion of traditional values, Muslim-majority Kosovo has experienced a massive opening in the years since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
With just 1.8 million people, Kosovo has seen its arts and culture scene blossom, and many have embraced its LGBTQ community.
“It is a good thing, as it shows that we can live together in the same place. You with your thoughts, me with mine and only five minutes away from each other,” says Erblin Nushi, a 31-year-old filmmaker and occasional drag performer at the Bubble pub.
Over 90 per cent of Kosovo’s population are Muslims, with the vast majority of its ethnic Albanians practising a moderate form of Islam.
