Job Discussion Forums

karmich · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Poland

Can anyone please tell me how people are in Krakow on homosexuality? If there are any good places to hangout and meet fellow gays and lesbians in the ESL field.

please let me know.

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

Poland (from my experience) isn't the most tolerant of homosexuals and having live in Krakow for a year and studied in the Jagiellonian University with on a Polish course with people form all over the world hung out with a few gay guys.

There are 2 "gay" clubs in Krakow that aren't outwardly gay and are fun for all and sundry and the gay community catch up here and for the straight are actually one of the better nights out. There is a third club just off the rynek that is (in my humble straight opinion) aggressively gay and needless to say didn't hang around too long, the point being yes there is a gay community in Krakow and quite easy community to get into. (Sorry for being vague the names of the clubs escape me now.)

One of my gay American friends got into the politicl side of the gay community and had to organise a march through Krakow. The previous march that occured ended in disaster with hooligans lobbing bricks at the marchers and giving most of them a hiding. The police chose to turn a blind eye for the most part. The gay march however didn't take place out of respect for the Pope's death. The point here is that the gay community is being more vocal and apparent but still expects and receives open and sometimes untamed hostility.

misteradventure · Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Posts: 246

One of them is Kitsch, I forget the name of the other.
You can find them in the Krakow edition of the guide at inyourpocket.com

I have a flaming lesbian colleague.
She gets more chicks than any guy I know.

Of course, some of them I wouldn't go out with in the first place...

Walking around with your hand in your same-gendered partner's back pocket in broad daylight might get you a few evil looks and being overly friendly might get you thrown out of a cafe. All that said, if you keep a low profile, people will assume that you are straight, because there are only gays in other countries, right?

gregoryfromcali · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:24 pm Post subject:

In a study of homophobia in Poland, 65% of Poles think that homosexuality is wrong.

As much as I like Poland I wouldn't recommend it if you're gay.

Coming from California where we treat gays like anyone else Poland is like going back to the 1940's.

I remember one time when we had a listening where we listened to some radio ads.

I was pretty boring except for an ad for an action film which featured an American tough guy voice.

Making small talk, I asked my class which one they liked most. No one responded and I said I liked the tough guy.

From then on some of the young men, hooligan looking types, in class looked at me funny as if I was gay.

Initially I could careless. But it did get old fast dealing with these guys week after week giving me funny stares which never stopped.

Needless to say I can't imagine what it would be like for someone who really is gay.

I would just go somewhere else. There are too many other wonderful places in the world to enjoy without having to deal with the level of homophobia you'll find from some people in Poland.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

you may want to go up to Warsaw for a visit.
It is a bigger city so you can have some anonymity.
I knew a few gays in Warsaw.

cezarek · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 149

Warsaw is ten times better than Krak�w if you want gay bars. It isn't brilliant for bars, but I don't mind it (there's half a dozen decent places and a few not so decent). But there's a reason that a lot of gay Poles move to London or Berlin. The general population here is more metropolitan and better educated, but mostly still in the 1950s about alternative lifestyles. It isn't all bad though, and there's a lot of happy people here in Warsaw. Including EFL teachers.

Have a look at www.highlife.pl or www.gejowo.pl. They both have listings etc.

Alex Shulgin · Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

Tomba Tomba is a superb hetrofriendly gay club. Easily one of the best clubs in Poland.

Bialonoz · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 57

I agree. It's lovely. Also Utopia.

Alex Shulgin · Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

Praga, yes.
Has the Russian market at the stadium across the river been closed down yet?

cezarek · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 149

The people at Utopia who think they're fashionable, in fact work as assistants at jeans stores in shopping malls or as hairdressers. I've been a few times to Utopia, but stopped going when I figures that they'd let me in if I was with young and pretty people, but not whe I was with old and not so trendy people. I've also heard they have a colour bar, so they're not getting any of my money in their till.

Le Madamme (which is not a gay bar - just 'alternative') is truly lovely (but they have fashion police on the door sometimes), Rasko is trendy and friendly, especially good for women, Toro is a bit rough sometimes. Lodi Dodi is by far the nicest, (and usually has English speakers in) but is a bar rather than a club.

Enough about bars!