Ok, this is new: A gay circuit party in a Muslim country.
The Istanball Rainbow Fest, running June 19-23 in Istanbul, Turkey, is the Muslim world’s first event involving gay men in gay clothes dancing to gay music OPENLY. Trust me when I say that this qualifies, if anything does, as an “event.” We are looking at history in the making.
Any die-hard circuit boy will find all the basics — 10 separate parties in massive venues all over the city, a sunset cruise dinner party on the Sea of Marmara, a beach party, and city tour in city that is well over 2,000 years old. Club diva Donna Reese just signed on, and the Sex Shooters, Mickey Friedman, Phil Romano, Ultra Nate and 15 other top-shelf club acts are already creating buzz.
But entirely new is the Middle Eastern vibe that will pervade the event. Get ready to see male belly dancers instead of the usual go-go boys; get ready to hear the exotic additions of dulcimers, lutes, harps, tambourines and “riq” (a kind of drum) in all the music. In other words, you may have to roll your hips rather than just thrust them. Turkey has a huge native artistic tradition to draw on, so expect techno-ified versions of a culture very different from what you may find in Belgium or Palm Springs. To really set the tone, VIP attendees will be treated to an authentic hammam experience to get the juices flowing (ahem).
And you have one of the most dazzling of the Muslim world’s cities do it in. Capital of the Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires and the only city in the world to span two continents, Istanbul is only of those rare places where you can not “not” find something to keep you busy—circuit party or not. The cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace and its famous harem quarters, and the Euro-Orient Dolmabahçe Palace, are just the tips of the iceberg. And have no fear about not getting it all on; one cup of Turkish coffee and you’ll be a wake for days.
So you know, this isn’t taking place in a vacuum: Most cities in the Muslim world have thriving gay scenes, but gays in Istanbul are surprisingly visible and the city even has a gayborhood, Beyoglu (it’s on the European side of the city, near Taksim Square). The city has been throwing a Gay Pride Parade every year since 2003, and it has grown so large that it now rates as the larges Pride Parade in Eastern Europe.
Sound like fun? For more info and list of approved hotels, go to istanballfestival.com. Contact Steele Luxury Travel more assistance on planning your trip to Turkey at 646-688-2274