THE NIGHT OF FIRE
T . O M O L E F E G O E S T O S I T G E S A N D F I N D S A F I E R Y L G B T F E S T I VA L B Y T H E S P A N I S H S E A S I D E
Like our honeybee counterparts, the
numbers of queer men like me who flit
openly from lover to lover are in perilous
decline. We – call us pollinators – are an
important part of the LGBTQ ecosystem,
ensuring all receive the love and affection
they need to prosper, however brief
the tryst.
Scientists suggest that the decline in
our numbers is due to the mistake of
basing our fight for acceptance in society
on showing non-LGBTQ people that we
conform to their stated-but-seldom-
practiced mores on sex and relationships.
That we are “decent”, whatever that
means, just like them.
OK, ok. No scientists actaully say this,
24 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
I think. It’s just my theory. Many friends
of my age are disappearing into marriage,
parenting and general heteronormativity,
such as monogamy – at least in word, if
not always in practice.
Which is why Sitges, an LGBTQ-friendly
seaside town just 30 minutes southwest
of Barcelona, Spain, was a precious find.
Perhaps calling it merely “friendly” is
an understatement. Sitges is a seaside
paradise that courts and proudly
welcomes all LGBTQ people.
We (my partner and I) arrived just after
Bear Week, billed as Europe’s largest
gathering of bears – burly, hairy, bearded
queer men. However, the town is famed
for catering all year round to LGBTQ
travellers, no matter which subculture of
the community they identify with. Even we
pollinators felt at home.
The restaurants, promenade, beaches
and bars were filled with all kinds of
queers – albeit fewer of colour than would
be expected, even for a European city.
We also arrived in time for the
Festa Major of Santa Tecla, a two-day
celebration of the town’s patron saint. The
festival’s namesake, Saint Tecla, a follower
of Paul the Apostle and an apparent virgin,
is famed for encouraging women to live
lives of chastity – a message which has
thankfully fallen by the wayside in the
celebrations. While the standard bearer
during the festival is always a woman,