As part of the exhibition “Cruising the Countryside – Rural Queer Lives,” Klaus-Dieter Begemann and Collin Klugbauer will discuss gay activism in Osnabrück in the early 1980s.
It has since become the universal symbol of LGBTIQ* activism: the rainbow flag! Designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker in San Francisco for Gay Freedom Day, it has undergone several transformations. That is the well-known story. However, few people likely know how the symbol came to the Federal Republic of Germany. The first flag flew in Osnabrück in 1983. It was designed by Klaus-Dieter Begemann and sewn by Renate Gieskemeyer. Klaus-Dieter Begemann was part of the “Aktionsgruppe Homosexualität Osnabrück” (AHO), which used the queer symbol at its “Schwüle Nächte” festival and at demonstrations. It is currently flying in the exhibition “Cruising the Countryside. Queer Life in the Countryside.” In conversation with Klaus-Dieter Begemann, we want to go back to its beginnings and learn more about how this symbol, originating in San Francisco, made its way into activism in the Federal Republic of Germany. We want to discuss what the additional pink stripe signifies, how it was used in Osnabrück, and which symbols shaped the gay rights movement of that era. We’ll also explore what queer activism looked like in cities like Osnabrück around groups such as the “Aktionsgruppe Homosexualität Osnabrück” (AHO) and how it differed from activism in major cities.
The event will be held in spoken German.
Speakers:
Klaus-Dieter Begemann – born in 1954 in Bad Bentheim; in 1981, he earned his state examination in art at the University of Osnabrück. He was an activist with the Osnabrück Homosexuality Action Group (AHO) and remained active there until moving to Hamburg in 1984. In Hamburg, he was active for many years at the Magnus Hirschfeld Center.
Collin Klugbauer is the curator of the exhibition “Cruising the Countryside. Rural Queer Lives.” Collin heads exhibition management at the Schwules Museum.
No registration is required. Participation is free; only admission to the Schwules Museum itself must be paid.
Image: Patricia Sevilla Ciordia