A black jumper with pink flamingos – once owned by Josch Hoenes (1972–2019). Who was the person behind this find?

Josch Hoenes was a passionate advocate for trans* rights, queer visibility and critical approaches to gender. He was part of the first generation of openly trans* people to conduct research on trans* issues.

As a researcher, lecturer and activist, Hoenes played a key role in raising the profile of Transgender Studies in German-speaking countries and deliberately positioned trans* and non-binary perspectives beyond the in Germany established framework of Women and Gender Studies.

Josch Hoenes passed away suddenly in 2019. A memorial event was held at the Schwules Museum in September 2020 to mark the first anniversary of his death. His estate was catalogued in 2024 as part of Trans*cestors – a project aimed at making trans*-related estates and bequests visible and laying the foundation for a future TIN-archive.

The estate comprises a box of textiles, including the flamingo jumper on display. The flamingo – an animal whose posture oscillates between balance, fragility and pose 🦩 – symbolises a (queer) life in which identity does not appear as a fixed category, but as a fluid, consciously performative practice.

For those close to Josch, the activist and his favourite jumper were almost indistinguishable. As Birga Meyer from the Schwules Museum recalls, it symbolised her “special time with Josch” around Christmas.

Image: Mika Wisskirchen, Archive Schwules Museum