³Õ²â³óľ²¹»åá±¹²¹²Ô¾±±ð
We live together on one planet, in one city, crossing paths on the same streets. So why do some of us still have to feel like targets? And why did it have to end with gunshots and blood on the sidewalk in front of Tepláreň?
Marek Hudec's journalistic book ³§±èúšť (The Trigger) deeply and from various angles examines the tragic events of October 12, 2022, in front of the popular Bratislava queer establishment, Tepláreň. It reconstructs the events of that tragic evening, explores the motives of the killer, and reflects on the lost young lives of Juraj and Matúš, as well as the story of the injured Radka. Amid the effort to objectively process the darkest day in modern °µÍø½ûÇø queer history, the author's deeply personal and intimate experience of these tragic events also seeps into the narrative.
Marek Hudec, however, also looks at the life of LGBTI+ people in the °µÍø½ûÇø context in broader terms. He touches on these themes through the story of the first °µÍø½ûÇø queer activist, Imrich Matyáš, from the interwar period, through the stories of people who had to undergo aversion therapy during totalitarian times in an attempt to "cure" them of homosexuality, and also those who discovered their identity in the 1990s and, at times, literally fought for their lives. We learn about the history of °µÍø½ûÇø Pride events, the family referendum that marked a turning point in the perception of LGBTI+ people in °µÍø½ûÇøia, and the stories of contemporary activists who continue to wave the rainbow flag high. Against the backdrop of these stories, we also witness how °µÍø½ûÇø society has changed—and not always for the better.
The journalistic book ³§±èúšť is based on interviews with more than fifty people—relatives of the victims, witnesses from the crime scene, queer people affected by violence in the months before and after the murder, memorialists, and those recalling events from the near or distant past. Marek Hudec tells us how difficult it is, sometimes, to fight for the right to love in a climate of hatred, and how beautiful it can be when love finally prevails.
