u/MyGayGossip

Do you have any insight into why volunteer culture in Serbia lags so far behind that of Western Europe? From what I have heard, recruiting a volunteer in Serbia involves a level of bureaucracy comparable to hiring a contracted employee — even within NGOs such as CRPC and Potent. Have you personally participated in any volunteer projects here? If so, what were your experiences like?

If you were robbed or assaulted during a Grindr hookup abroad — even in a non-gay-friendly Muslim country — would you report it to the local police immediately?

This is an official Serbian police document called a “Službena beleška o obaveštenju primljenom od građana” — an “Official note about information received from a citizen. This is a formal police record documenting my report of an assault/threat incident in Belgrade.

A week ago, I was assaulted and threatened by three homophobic Serbian men who posed as plainclothes police officers raiding a public toilet in central Belgrade. They had clearly identified the venue as a known gay meeting point and were deliberately targeting gay men. I reported the incident to the nearest police station straight away and am currently waiting for an update from their investigation.

I'd like to hear from others who may have faced something similar. Have you ever encountered fake police raids used as cover for attacking gay men? And for those of us traveling as foreigners, what practical steps can we take to protect ourselves in situations like this?

Do you know that many Chinese people still hold the mindset of ‘怕把事情闹大’ — being afraid of making a situation bigger — even when they are victims of insults or robbery abroad? Even after reporting a crime to the police, some eventually choose not to continue with the legal process. It often seems as though they feel that allowing the police or the law to punish a criminal would make them morally blameworthy or seen as a ‘bad person.’

For example, if I download apps from F-Droid, will they run as smoothly as they do on a standard Android phone? I've noticed that some open-source apps, like CoMaps, actually work better than Google Maps in certain situations.

Which phone offers the best compatibility with open-source apps overall?

This afternoon I had a ridiculous experience on Bumble. A guy from Berlin matched with me — he had come to Belgrade as part of a Balkan trip. He complimented my photos and said I was cute. He's also LGBTQ.

When I asked when we could meet up (I prefer meeting in person), he said he was exploring the city and didn't know when he'd be done. I mentioned that I usually plan my day in advance, so I asked if we could do a quick video call just to see each other first. He responded with a frowning emoji and immediately blocked me.

Is it considered rude in German culture to ask for a quick, non-sexual video call? And more broadly — when meeting someone from a dating app for a hookup, do you prefer a quick video call first to confirm they match their photos, or do you just meet them directly?

Have you noticed that some Chinese people place white foreigners on a pedestal? For example, a white Russian man with poor English was hired by a private school to teach the language — and was offered a generous salary by local standards. Similarly, an average-looking white man who might not stand out in his home country can become very popular with Chinese women, simply because white foreigners are a novelty in China.