Rome is a city rich in history and culture, a place that one expects to experience some of the greatest historical sites in the world, however it is not necessarily where you would expect to see one of the biggest pride events in the world. A recent trip to Italy revealed one of the largest and most joyous pride events I’ve yet to witness and it almost happened completely by accident. When booking our accommodation in Rome the location of our hotel caught my attention due to it’s proximity to the colosseum, little did I realise at the time that the historical landmark would serve as the back drop for their biggest queer event of the year.
Rome Pride Celebrates 30 years For any first timer in Rome the experience is overwhelming to say the least. The streets are lined with beautiful buildings, rich in architecture, no matter the time of day the city is alive and bustling with an endless stream of activity. As a gay couple travelling on our own there is always a slight apprehension to our travels.
That slightly niggling in the back of your mind about public perceptions of the queer community in other countries and the underlying thoughts about our personal safety. However these were quickly allayed as we rounded the corner from the Colosseum to approach our hotel room. “There” our taxi driver pointed to the street of our hotel, adorned with rainbow balloons and decorations, clearly they must have been expecting us.
As we exited the car two bedazzled drag queens smiled an.
