Visiting Podcast Launch

Two queer expats’ guide to navigating the city of Zurich!

The city of Zurich is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for LGBTIQ+ people to

relocate to. Every year thousands of young queer people are drawn to this tiny metropolis,

be it for work, study or purely to escape their hometown homophobia. Unbeknownst to

many, this is a tradition dating back to a time where homosexuality was illegal in most

European countries yet Switzerland and Zurich in particular, has offered safe haven for

queers since the 1940s. 

At first glance, the LGBTIQ+ community seems to offer an easy access for newcomers to

connect, either through online apps or queer community spaces. Yet for people with

different cultural backgrounds sometimes assimilation into Swiss life has its challenges.

Queer people from abroad face these same challenges, like the multiple languages, the

sometimes-rigid bureaucracy and even the perceived cold Swiss exterior. These factors often

lead to newcomers leaving earlier than expected due to a lack of integration.

But fear not queers, the podcast “Visiting?” by Benjamin Hampel and Brian McCabe is here

to offer a helping hand. Both Ben and Brian have made the leap from their home countries

some years ago and have moved to Zurich as queer “expats”. It wasn’t always easy for both

of them to navigate but they both stayed and fell in love with this charming city. Not only

that, they both leveled up and became integral fixtures of the city’s queer community.

So why the name "Visiting?”. Well, this is the most frequent question asked on dating apps

like Grindr or Scruff when you are new to a city or passing through. And even when you have

been here for years you might still get this message pop up in your notifications occasionally.

For many, these are the first contacts in a new city, but it can also the question you

continually ask yourself as an “expat”. When does one stop being a visitor? At which point

can you say that you have truly arrived? Ben and Brian ask this question, tell stories from the

point of view of expats, refugees or visitors with the aim to help not only those who are new

to Zurich but also those who have always lived here - to understand this city and each other

better.