Holebi Cyprus Interview

This past friday I was invited to a meeting of Cyprus' only known LGBT organisation, Holebi Cyprus, which is based in Limassol. After a nice drive from Nicosia with two of my friends, we finally arrived at Angelo's house and were greeted with a warm welcome and a stunning view of the sea at sunset. Both Hugo and Angelo, the founders of Holebi, were very enthusiastic about explaining what the organisation is all about, how it began, but also a bit of background information about themselves.

Right, tell us about yourselves, including your full names!

Our names are Hugo Bauwens and Angelo Voet. We are both from Belgium, and we moved to Cyprus about 6 1/2 years ago. 

Why did you decide to come to Cyprus?

Angelo had relatives here and had visited the island before and fell in love with it, and Hugo had a professional opportunity on the island at the same time, so we both took the decision to move here together with Hugo’s children.

So you are a gay couple with children?

(Laughs) No we are not a couple, but we are two close gay friends who work together in a hairdressing salon called Hugo Hair Studio in the Old Town of Limassol and at a hair dressing college called Euro Hair College. Hugo has children which we raised together in the villages of Yermasogia and Allasa near Limassol.

This sounds very interesting. How did raising children together and being gay work in Cyprus were the community is so conservative?

It worked fine! I think most of the people were in denial of the situation and made up some stories to avoid the fact that we were gay, but we had no problems at all and every one was very friendly with us. At the end of the day I think that as long as people are honest and nice to each other, they will gain the respect of their community no matter what their sexual orientation or relationship situation is.

So you say that you had no problems with the people or the authorities?

Nope, none whatsoever.

What do you think of gay life in Cyprus?

(Laughs) Does it even exist?

What do you think society’s view of homosexuality is in Cyprus?

They are in denial that it exists and that it can work.

Can a person live a comfortable life as an open homosexual/ homosexual couple?

Yes we think so, but it is up to the person to live their life as they want. Most of the problems gay people face are actually brought on by their own thoughts of homosexuality and society.

Do you think there are any problems with the law in Cyprus regarding gay issues?

We don’t know. The only problem is that there seem to be no laws.

What would you like to see more of in the gay community in Cyprus?

We would like to see gay people appreciating themselves more as human beings, and not just seeing themselves as sexual objects. There is so much more to life than who you sleep with, and living your life as a gay person is only as fulfilling as you make it yourself.

Is there anything wrong with the gay people themselves?

We are not sure if they are 'wrong'. They seem confused. They are unsure of their sexuality and what to do with it. They seem uncertain on what decisions to take in life.

How do people find out about Holebi?

We rely mainly on word of mouth for awareness of the organisation.

What is the purpose of the organisation?

To offer a place where everyone is able to be themselves irregardless of sexual orientation. A place to meet people and have fun but also to discuss problems or other matters of interest. The idea behind the club is nothing to do with dating, but is a support and friendship group so that people can get to know each other with similar interests, and feel comfortable amongst their peers.

Is the organisation just for gay men?

No, not at all! Everyone is welcome to the meetings. We have gay men, lesbians and transgendered people coming to our meetings.

How often do you have meetings?

About every two weeks, and we notify the members by text message or email.

(Gay Cyprus Online will also put up dates and places of meetings in the Events section of the website)

Thank you for your time, and we hope you all the best for the future!

Thank you also, and thank you for coming to see us!

For more information on Holebi Cyprus including contact numbers, please click Here.