Vienna After Dark

Roman Samotny

he/him

Tepláreň party / Inakosť Initiative / DJ

Bratislava, Slovakia

Roman Samotný, founder of Tepláreň/Queer Slovakia

Roman Samotný studied journalism at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Already during and after his studies, he worked in several media houses. He is the creator of the Queer Slovakia platform, which organizes several events for LGBTI+ people. He has been creating spaces of freedom for the Slovak queer community in Bratislava for over 12 years now. He's the founder of the well-known Tepláreň party, which later transformed into the iconic queer-friendly bar. After the terrorist attack in 2022, the Tepláreň project continues as a series of events in various clubs and cultural centers.

Since 2010, he has been a member of the Inakosť Initiative (LGBTI+ NGO), where he is the head of communication, fundraising and events, and is also involved in education on the LGBTI+ topic. In 2022, he received the White Crow Award for civic courage and in 2023 the Award of the Mayor of Bratislava for creating safe spaces. Roman is also a DJ, performing under the nickname Vesnu. As a DJ, he found his home ground in the queer scene in Bratislava, but he also performed at festivals and parties in Berlin, Budapest, London, Prague and other cities.

Thursday, 14.11.