Motivated mainly by critical queries and considerations concerning the renaming of the (in future not exlusively) “Gay Museum”, we cordially invite you to an exchange of ideas about the practical use of the term “queer”.  “Queer” as concept was developed in an academic  context during the beginning of the 1990s and has become a multifunctional label which has, in many cases, replaced the self-identified labels lesbian, gay, or LesBiGay. We will pursue the question whether the term “queer” can currently be applied in both an academic setting and everyday life. Invited are leading proponents of „queer“ thought and life in Berlin: Dr. Antke Engel (founder of the “Institute for Queer Theory”), Katrin Köppert (co-editor of the conference volume “Queer life – queer labeling?”), Debra Kate (“International Bio-Queen and photographer”), Bartholomew Sammut (Organizer of the “International Queer Short Film Festival Berlin XPOSED”) and Sirko Salka (editor-in-chief of Siegessäule).
Birgit Bosold and Michael Fürst (Schwules Museum) will moderate the discussion.
This is not intended to be a traditional panel discussion, but rather a relaxed, interactive conversation between the participants and the audience, including short films and performances.
A small chill-out party in SchwuZ to follow.