The present and the future interest me more than the past.
Yes, I am Romanian, born in Suceava and raised on the Black Sea, but life has taken me on many waves and I have been living in Amsterdam for over 20 years. Being gay is just one of the things that define me. First and foremost, I am Jorge's partner, my life and business partner. I rely on him and his love to be able to be creative and take risks. Owning some of the biggest gay bars in the Netherlands is not easy. At the moment I am the owner of Blend and Blend XL bars in Reguliersdwarsstraat and YOLO club in Amsterdam. On top of that I'm the organiser of the biggest Pride Amsterdam party, MainStage Dam Square, which this year will take place on 5, 6 and 7 August. Few people know that it takes eight months to put on such an event. But when I'm there and I see world-renowned artists from all over the world, the audience dancing and celebrating the diversity of these fantastic parties, it fills my heart with joy and pride.
Much of what I know as an entrepreneur I learned from my partner from my youth, Frans, who sadly passed away in 2007 after a long suffering from cancer. I had met Frans when I was a model in my youth. At that time I was studying economics in Romania, but during a show in the Netherlands he fell in love with me. I was unsure: there was a big age difference between us. But shortly afterwards I had the privilege of discovering his heart of gold. I nursed Frans to his last breath, a cruel but inspiring time. His suffering opened my eyes to what is important in life. Being an entrepreneur and earning money is not the only thing that matters, but being a man who adds value to the society he lives in. So since 2007 I have been sponsoring and donating Christmas gifts to cancer patients in the Antony van Leeuwenhoek Cancer Treatment Centre and sick children in the Emma Kinderziekenhuis Children's Hospital in Amsterdam. In the last 15 years we have donated more than 7500 of these packages which bring a smile to the faces of those affected by this cruel disease.
But perhaps the greatest gift I received from Frans was the inspiration not to let myself be defeated by obstacles. Like when, after a night out in a gay disco in Amsterdam I was assaulted. Hit with a brick in the face, lip torn off, three teeth broken and most of all: modeling career lost. After Frans' death I took over his business, the Amstel Taveerne bar. It wasn't easy and at the beginning I also had to deal with customers who stopped coming to the bar, because the owner wasn't Dutch... But I got over it and with hard work, ambition and love to realise a dream I am now one of the most famous gay bar owners in the Netherlands.
When I heard that ROMPRO has the ambition to organize a Romanian boat in La Canal Parade 2022, I didn't hesitate for a moment: of course I want to sponsor and support your effort! I am extremely proud that by this gesture we prove that we Romanians can integrate into Dutch society and show inclusiveness and respect for diversity. It is a strong message, not only for those here, but also for LGBTI+ people in Romania and the rest of Eastern Europe. It doesn't matter where you come from, who you love and what you do in your everyday life. Love wins!
About the author: Valy Pintiuc is Romanian, gay and lives in the Netherlands since 2000. He is the owner of several gay bars and clubs in Amsterdam and is the organizer of the MainStage Dam Square party on 5-6-7 August, part of the Pride Amsterdam 2022 festivities. Valy Pintiuc is also one of the generous sponsors without whom this year's ROMPRO boat would not be possible.
