Tajikistan/Dushanbe info

[young11]

While I have very limited exposure to Tajik men, the ones I saw in Europe were quite handsome. So I always wanted to visit but given it is an ex-communist muslim country, I always wondered if I would be able to find some good encounter there. I visited Almaty a few years ago but it was nearly dead in terms of grindr but also I didn't find many sexy guys on street either. Any info from our well travelled members?

[Daniel]

Tajikistan is a great travel destination if you are looking for new experiences. It has amazing untouched nature and very hospitable people. As for the gay scene, it's underdeveloped and resembles the Kazakh one. To find a partner you will need to make an effort and be lucky. And you need to know where exactly to look. Many young gays leave the country and usually work as massage therapists abroad. Usually they are very simple kind guys with whom it is easy to communicate.

So where can you find a guy in Dushanbe:

- dating apps and groups in Telegram, Hornet is more popular here than Grindr;

- forums on the Internet, but there are mostly in Russian;

- in regular baths and saunas there is some cruising, if you are lucky;

- private massage therapists may go beyond a regular massage if they see that you are aroused, but they don't talk about it openly.

There are no gay bars, massage parlors or specialized saunas like in Europe or Thailand. Also it's is not ok to openly talk here about your sexual preferences. They are neutral towards gays and you will not encounter any aggression, but it is still better not to put them in an awkward position. I advise you to change the location in Hornet to Dushanbe and talk to a few local guys, they can be useful. I have not been there myself, but my friend went there on a trip and had a great time with a local guy.

[Moses]

12 hours ago, young11 said:

it was nearly dead in terms of grindr

Grindr isn't popular in Central Asia, almost nobody knows about it.

You should use Hornet instead.

[young11]

20 hours ago, Daniel said:

Many young gays leave the country and usually work as massage therapists abroad. Usually they are very simple kind guys with whom it is easy to communicate. .

thanks for many helpful tips. which country do they go to do the massage? maybe i can visit those countries first...

[Daniel]

22 hours ago, young11 said:

which country do they go to do the massage?

Usually guys from Central Asia go to Turkey or Moscow, recently South Korea has also been added. But it's not so easy to find a Tajik massage therapist. Although it is quite possible. I would advise you to find a few guys who would agree to meet before your trip (Hornet/Telegram). And also massage therapists. This way you will have a better chance of finding interesting adventures. Or just choose another country where everything happens much easier :)

[Moses]

On 6/29/2025 at 2:57 PM, young11 said:

which country do they go to do the massage?

Number of Tajik who changed citizenship to Russian at past 10 years is 350,000, also around of 1 million are working here by contracts. Population of Tajiks in Moscow is about 250,000. Second populated by Tajiks region in Russia is Bashkortostan - National Bashkir republic near Ural mountains - because Tajiks and Bashkirs are quite close by Islam. Since male masseurs are not very popular in local massage shops, most Tajik gays are working in barber-shops here.

[Tomtravel]

The biggest diaspora of Tajik is in Afganistan and then in Uzbekistan. Lots of mixed guys in Uzbekistan because of intermarriage of parents. If you are in lets say Samarkand, its not always easy to differentiate only by looks. Gay life is really an underground affair, but apps help you out and discretion is required.

 

[young11]

21 hours ago, Moses said:

Number of Tajik who changed citizenship to Russian at past 10 years is 350,000, also around of 1 million are working here by contracts. Population of Tajiks in Moscow is about 250,000. Second populated by Tajiks region in Russia is Bashkortostan - National Bashkir republic near Ural mountains - because Tajiks and Bashkirs are quite close by Islam. Since male masseurs are not very popular in local massage shops, most Tajik gays are working in barber-shops here.

You mean tajik guys work at barber shops in Russia or bashkortostan? In either place, how does it work at a barber shop 😂 I read somewhere long time ago that barber shops in china work likes brothels but never understood thale concept 

[Moses]

4 hours ago, young11 said:

barber shops in Russia

Nohow  Unless he has working gayradar. Apps, Hornet first of all.

[ChristianPFC]

I was in the Stans in May and the situation for gays is dire. Details in my blog:

https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2025/08/no-gay-activities-may2025-uzbekistan.html

[Moses]

1 hour ago, ChristianPFC said:

I was in the Stans in May and the situation for gays is dire. Details in my blog:

https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2025/08/no-gay-activities-may2025-uzbekistan.html

Well. I would not like to disappoint you, but the observation is very superficial and so generalized that it does not correspond to the real state of affairs.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are truly Islamized and homophobic. Moreover, if in Tajikistan there is practically no gay life, then in Uzbekistan it is there and is not too hidden. But to get into this movement, you need to have local acquaintances. But what is noteworthy: in Tajikistan, homosexuality is not punishable by law, but in Uzbekistan there is an article in the criminal code, although in real life everything is the other way around: due to the strong influence of Islam in Tajikistan, a gay person will have much more problems than in fairly secular Uzbekistan, although there is criminal punishment in the country.

Kyrgyzstan and, especially, Kazakhstan are secular states where homosexuality has been decriminalized for more than 30 years. The influence of Islam in these countries is much weaker, and in Kazakhstan Islam is not the dominant religion at all, since the country has had a significant Russian diaspora of former Cossacks since the conquest of the steppes several centuries ago.

If we place these countries on a scale of anti-gay actions by the state, then the situation of gays in Kazakhstan is better than in Kyrgyzstan and even better than in Russia, although at the everyday level it is a little more complicated.

In general, listing Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in one line through a comma is as correct as listing Uganda, Ethiopia, Italy and Germany through a comma as an example of Catholic countries.

[ChristianPFC]

Thanks for your detailed reply. I correct my statement: for the average tourist, passing through, without local knowledge or acquaintances, there is nothing to gain. There are no gay bars and online dating was disappointing as well. I do my gay activities in places where I don't have to look for gay bars with a magnifying glass and navigate a minefield of cultural and legal differences. 

From internet: Religion in Kazakhstan Islam (69.3%).

A Kazakh lady friend who lives abroad told me that for her, as a women, with Islam the dominant religion, there is very limited chance for professional advancement.