ALTERNATIVE SPOT
252
THE TS-14 IS THE ONLY
TRANSVESTITE BAR
IN THESSALONIKI,...
BEHIND WHICH
‘‘HIDES’’ KRISTY’S LIFE
WHICH COULD BECOME
A MOVIE OR A BOOK
OR BOTH… AND, IN
ESSENCE, THIS IS OUR
EXPERIENCE THERE…
Kristy grew up in Naousa and in 1989 she moved to Thessaloniki.
From a young age she was aware of her sexual orientation. For
some time she was just a cross dresser “the way we all start”, she
says. “A boy in the morning, in the evening dressing up, makeup
and wig! But all this was exhausting for me and Ι told to my family
that this is what I do”! Fortunately, she is one of
the few whose family is supportive… However, the
course, after that, seemed like a one way, as all
transvestites, the life of a streetwalker seemed the
only choice, . And she did so for years – more than
20- aiming to escape at a point. After a long course
of hard life, experiences that are hard and nothing
nice, Kristy loathed streetwalking, collected an
amount of money and opened TS -14. She arrived in
Athens, worked at “normal” jobs –day and night- and
when upon returning in Thessaloniki she become
an activist –already started since Athens with the
Transgender Support Association- and she opened
her bar. As for the future, “many tell me to leave,
to find another space but I won’t. I want the bar
to be next to Vardaris which has a great tradition.
Everybody passes from here and you can find
everything. We have a lot more to do… ‘‘After all no
one gets lost in Vardaris”…
Highlight
Τα ξεχωριστά
θεματικά shows
κάθε Κυριακή!
The special themed
shows every Sunday!
Info
Καθημερινά από τις
23:00(Κυριακή από τις
21:00 | Δευτ. κλειστά)
Daily from 23:00 (Sunday
from 21:00 | Mon. closed).
By Κaterina Rigou, Photo: Eleanna Κourkoulopoulou
In the alternative neighborhood in Vardaris, there in the square,
in an alley, Odisseos, in TS-14, the only transvestite and boy’s bar
of Thessaloniki, we met its owner and inspirer, Kristy Alexiou. The
bar was created aiming to revive the entertainment of previous
decades and to bring back the night in the same
meaning it used to have in other eras… The
scenery is Almodovaric, the fun is extraordinary,
the atmosphere is friendly… Dancing on a stool,
bar, drinks and off course steady patrons,
eroticism, deactivation, rhinestones and feathers,
shows. Kristy does not do shows. She never
did. “The world thinks that all transvestites do
shows! It is not true”. A cult station of guiltless
fun in town… And because Kristy knows about
putting labels on people, in this place everyone
is welcome, independent of sexual orientation, if
only they are decent. “In this city, the transgender
community did not have hangouts”, this is how
the idea of the bar began. “Clearly I relied on the
monopoly but also I was ready to fight prejudice”.
And she did… It was a huge decision to open
her own bar, it is rare for a trans to become
an entrepreneur and difficult as well… but she
dared and finally she succeeded, because, as
she says, people’s reaction depends on you,
you will receive back what you are reflecting!
We asked her about people’s reactions, afterall
Thessaloniki is a small city…“Honestly, I have
no complaint. A lot of people come for me and
equally as many for the bar, for its authenticity”.
ΤΟ TS-14 ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟ
ΜΟΝΑΔΙΚΌ ΜΠΑΡ
ΤΡΑΒΕΣΤΊ ΣΤΗ
ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΊΚΗ,...
ΠΙΣΩ ΑΠΟ ΑΥΤΟ
«ΚΡΥΒΕΤΑΙ»Η ΖΩΉ
ΤΗΣ ΚΡΊΣΤΥ ΠΟΥ ΘΑ
ΜΠΟΡΟΎΣΕ ΝΑ ΓΊΝΕΙ
ΒΙΒΛΊΟ ‘H ΤΑΙΝΊΑ...
‘H ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΔΥΟ,... ΚΑΙ
ΑΥΤΗ ΕΝ ΟΛΊΓΟΙΣ,
ΕΊΝΑΙ Η ΕΜΠΕΙΡΊΑ
ΜΑΣ ΕΚΕΙ...
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