Czech gay influencers publish Baku travel vlog referencing queerness, inequality and political power

The Czech social-media creators known as the Czech Gay Twins have published a travel vlog documenting their visit to Baku and Lahıc region. The video, filmed in late November, was released on YouTube under the title “Azerbaijan, the most homophobic country in Europe, that has the most discreet tops.”

The vlog follows the twins as they travel through central Baku, visit historic sites and museums, and later travel to rural regions and the Caucasus Mountains. The creators present the video as a personal travel diary combining tourism, humour and commentary.

In the opening segment, the twins describe Azerbaijan as “the most homophobic country in Europe,” while adding that “gay life still exists” in Baku. They refer to what they describe as “many discreet tops” in the capital, a phrase that appears both in the video’s title and its introduction.

Throughout the vlog, the creators present themselves openly as gay men travelling together and include frequent references to sexuality, masculinity and intimacy. They comment on men sitting close to each other, holding hands or embracing in public, stating that such behaviour is culturally common and “not considered gay.”

The video includes queer-coded humour and casual remarks about appearance, fitness and flirting, alongside footage from cafés, barbershops, markets and public spaces.

The vlog also contains brief political and social observations, which the creators present as their personal impressions.

While filming near a monument to former president Heydar Aliyev, the twins say that Azerbaijan “almost has a monarchy,” stating that Heydar Aliyev led the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union and that his son, Ilham Aliyev, has remained in power for decades.

In another segment, they comment on economic inequality, contrasting what they describe as wealth and large-scale construction projects in central Baku with what they call poverty in rural areas. The creators say that oil and gas revenues benefit a small part of the population, while many people live in difficult conditions.

They further state that, in their view, the government prioritises maintaining power over encouraging democracy, saying that authorities prefer people who “serve a dictator” rather than demand elections or political choice.

The vlog continues to circulate on social media platforms, where it has attracted attention for its provocative title, its explicit references to queerness and its commentary on politics and inequality. The video remains publicly available on the Czech Gay Twins’ social-media accounts.

Minority Azerbaijan clarification

In the vlog, the creators state that Heydar Aliyev led Azerbaijan immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was directly succeeded by his son, Ilham Aliyev. This description is historically inaccurate. Following Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, the country experienced several rapid political transitions, including the presidencies of Ayaz Mutallibov and Abulfaz Elchibey, before Heydar Aliyev came to power in 1993. Ilham Aliyev assumed the presidency in 2003, a decade later.

Powered by Froala Editor