Gay Guide to Ghent
Belgium legalized same-sex marriage in 2003, the second country in the world to do so, and adoption followed in 2006. Ghent, a canal-laced medieval city in East Flanders, is relaxed and openly welcoming, its queer life smaller than Brussels or Antwerp but easy to find.
The heart of the scene sits around Sint-Jacobs and the square of Sint-Veerleplein, where Casa Rosa, the city's pink house, houses the LGBTQ+ cafe-bar A-pluss and a cluster of community groups.
Gent Pride takes over the center each August with a parade and street parties, while the sprawling Gentse Feesten in July folds queer performances and parties into one of Europe's biggest city festivals.
The Ghent Queer Arts Festival rounds out a calendar that punches well above the city's size.