“I’m from Varna, and when I half-jokingly suggested going back to my birthplace for the summer, I was surprised that all six of my closest friends agreed to it. Now, in August, we made it happen, and it was an unforgettable experience. Since my mother still closely follows Bulgarian politics, I thought I knew what to expect: a rather homogeneous, homophobic, and transphobic society. But after just a few days, we discovered the queer, hidden youth dancing until the early morning hours. Maybe it’s not the Varna of the 90s that my mother deep down misses, but it’s a new side of Varna that I will get to miss from now deep down. 2024.”
