Greece

Film

REVIEW: ‘The Summer With Carmen’

Writer/director Zacharias Mavroeidis’ beautifully photographed movie The Summer With Carmen operates on a multiplicity of levels. It’s an on-off gay romance; it’s a love affair with the rocky gay nudist cruising area of Limanakia, south of Athens; it’s a detailed analysis of how to write a film scre

By Brian Butler • 2 min read

Film

‘The Summer with Carmen’ to be released in UK cinemas on February 28, 2025

The Summer with Carmen – a tail-wagging tale of friendship, filmmaking, and four-legged chaos starring Yorgos Tsiantoulas and Andreas Lampropoulos – is to be released in UK cinemas on February 28, 2025. While enjoying a day soaking up the sun at Athens’ gay beach, best friends Demostheneos and Nikit

By Graham Robson • 1 min read

International News

Foreign Office issues travel warning for LGBTQ+ tourists travelling to Greece

When same-sex marriage was legalised in Greece back in February, LGBTQ+ campaigners celebrated. Now, though, the British Foreign Office has issued new travel advice for queer people travelling to the country. An update, published on the UK government’s foreign travel advice page, has warned that sam

By Graham Robson • 1 min read

International News

“Colourful, welcoming and alive”. Visit Greece introduces new section promoting Greece as a prominent LGBTQ+ friendly destination

Visit Greece, the official website of the Greek national tourism organisation (EOT), has introduced a new section promoting Greece as a prominent LGBTQ+ friendly destination. In February 2024, Greece became the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples

By Graham Robson • 1 min read

Birmingham

Fatt Butcher’s ‘Anywhere is a Dancefloor’ wins Best Short Film Award at G.L.A.D Film Festival

The film sees queer joy brought to Birmingham’s public spaces

By Catherine Muxworthy • 1 min read

Arts

Elska Magazine, a publication dedicated to sharing the bodies and voices of LGBTQ+ communities around the world, puts the spotlight on Athens for its latest issue

Inside readers can get up close and personal with a cross section of ordinary men from the gay community of the Greek capital.

By Graham Robson • 3 min read

International News

Acquittal of police officers in Greek LGBTQ+ activist killing ‘beggars belief’, say Amnesty

Zak Kostopoulos, queer activist and drag artist, was brutally beaten by two men after entering a jewellery shop in central Athens in 2018. According to Amnesty International, footage showed four police officers using unnecessary force to arrest the activist as he lay dying.

By Graham Robson • 1 min read

General News

Greece appoints first gay minister

Out gay Greek politician, Nicholas Yatromanolakis, has made history after being appointed as the deputy minister of culture on Monday January 4.

By Rachel Badham • 1 min read

General News

Turkey and Greece suffer earthquake in tourist hot spots

An earthquake registering 6.7 magnitude on the richter scale has occurred in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Turkey and Greece in the Dodecanese region in the early hours of this morning, July 21. It was a shallow quake just 6.2 miles below the seabed – off the south-western coastal city of Marmari

By Besi • 1 min read

In The South

TRAVEL: Santorini – 2 Islands for the price of one

Santorini, a mythical name with associations of Atlantis and ancient Greek legends, is the rim of a dormant volcano which blew up roughly 3,500 years ago, causing the entire centre of the island to sink into the sea.

By Roger Wheeler • 4 min read

General News

Why Greece needs you now, more than ever

I write this to you from the island of Crete, where the beaches are two-thirds empty, the hotels less than half full and some restaurants all but deserted. For us, it’s a July holiday paradise. Turn up at any beach, any time of day and have your pick of the best spot, visit local points of interest

By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read