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Awareness: We’re Ready

Since SchwuZ moved to the Rollbergstraße in 2013 (at the latest), we as a team started actively thinking about the topic of awareness. Since then, we’ve been continuing to expand our consciousness on this issue and have developed concepts from it for ourselves and others and have been implementing them in a variety of ways on a step-by-step basis.

SchwuZ is a place where everyone should feel comfortable and respected. That is why we’ve been acting in an increasingly mindful way towards our guests, employees and cooperating partners. We are present in the moment, take action, yet work preventatively. We’re mindful of differences, different perceptions and boundaries, but also aware of commonalities in this shared space. Consent is everything!

SchwuZ is more than just a party and isthere when someone needs help. Our aware door team is particularly concerned about the safety of our guests. Part of their work is keeping an eye on different power relations and including structural inequalities and privileges when doing so. We are holding more and more in-house workshops, additional training, and also the specific familiarization and conversations about the topic of awareness, all of which are furthering the awareness among our employees – regardless of the area in which they work.

Furthermore, we primarily book artists who are aware or whose art is aware. With targeted briefings and clear communication, we raise awareness among artists and guests about queer topics and how we deal with one another in the club. We want to be a trailblazer on this topic and in our community. That is why we are consciously promoting diversity. Our work on awareness isn’t done to limit us, but instead to creating an open, welcoming space that we are actively creating.

Dialog is important to us! Whether on location of via the internet – we view our awareness process and a field for learning and experimentation and a space for communication. If you have questions or suggestions, or if something unpleasant has happened to you or you have seen something, please contact us any time via email at feedback@schwuz.de. Awareness is a process and we’re also depending on you and your assistance. Thank you!

Vier Freund:innen haben Spass im SchwuZ

More Than Just a Word

For us, awareness means specific sentiments and actions. These determine our work within the team as well as how we handle guests and cooperation partners to a significant extent. We’ve achieved a lot, but there’s still so much more to do!
Kuenstler:in Mudi tanzt auf der SchwuZ Buehne orientalischen Tanz
Kuenstler:in Mudi tanzt auf der SchwuZ Buehne orientalischen Tanz
Kuenstler:in Mudi tanzt auf der Buehne im SchwuZ Queer Club Berlin

We are paying attention to make our club as well as our analog and digital communication spaces accessible and as barrier-free as possible. Once you’ve entered the club space via our elevator, all the pathways in the club are wide and accessible by wheelchair. You can pay for entry, drinks or other offerings using contactless methods.

We offer the possibility for low-noise communication within our spaces, thereby guaranteeing the opportunity for barrier-reduced dialog and the chance to communicate. Furthermore, our team can speak a wide variety of languages and are present to be as approachable as possible. We process feedback as quickly as possible.

Awareness is part and parcel of our security and door team, which is continually being trained in recognizing discrimination. They act in a preventative, de-escalating and specific manner. If you feel threatened in SchwuZ, or an explosive situation occurs, we are there for you. At the same time, we protect our club and guests with a conscious entry policy and consistent expulsion policy that creates and protects SchwuZ as a queer space.

Do not hesitate to come forward, speak to us if you experience or see something unpleasant! We have an aware door policy and work ethos! We also ensure the safety of our space by undergoing regular inspections for fire safety and by having trained fire-safety volunteers on location.

Starting with a glance, to homophobia and transphobia, to acts of physical violence – discrimination can happen everywhere and take on various forms. If you feel you are being discriminated against in SchwuZ, you can turn to anyone and everyone in our team at any time. Even after the fact. Please do contact us! It’s important to us to create a space free from discrimination – both on site as well as virtually. If necessary, we can also refer you to advice centers.

You are not alone. If you experience verbal or physical abuse, violence or sexism at SchwuZ, don’t hesitate to turn to our employees. You can talk to us. We will provide immediate physical and psychological support. We guarantee initial support, work with you to determine how best to move forward, and are also happy to refer you to further offerings from experts in our network.

As a guest, you will receive fast help in case of an emergency. We offer solidarity, also in case of a substance overdose and provide first aid. There are always people who can provide first aid on site. Furthermore, we also do educational work on site and on the web.

If you experience hostility at SchwuZ you consider racist, do not hesitate to turn to one of our employees to report this. We will act immediately to help you.

Visitors to SchwuZ in drag receive free entry. We appreciate the time and resources that you’ve invested in your drag. With this action, we’d like to thank you for your creativity and your courage on behalf of the entire community. This drag policy is a tradition at SchwuZ.

We want to help alleviate financial inequality. Therefore, holders of a Berechtigungsnachweis (former BerlinPass) receive reduced entry rates to our events. With a Berechtigungsnachweis (former BerlinPass), entry will cost you 6 euros at the moment.

Donations for SchwuZ

Support queer art and culture and the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community!

Questions and Answers

You have questions around the topic of events and awareness in SchwuZ? We’ve collected a few of the frequently asked questions here and answer them directly. If your question isn’t answered here, please write us an email at feedback@schwuz.de and we’ll answer it as quickly as possible.
Awareness means being conscious and mindful, paying attention, and having sensitivity for boundaries and not stepping over them. Here you can read about what we’re doing to promote a more aware approach in everyday club life. We view awareness as an ongoing and continual process involving everyone. So please let us hear your suggestions, requests and perspectives! Take care of each other. Make it clear to yourself and others about what you want and don’t want, and what other want and don’t want.
Among other things, consent is something that distinguishes sex from sexualized violence. In this context, consent means that all participants in a sexual act have freely decided in favor of said act and can also decide to stop participating in said act at any time. The prerequisite for consent is for all parties being able to actually give their consent. As examples, an unconscious person or someone who is asleep cannot give consent and giving consent may be impaired by dependency relationships to things such as alcohol or other drugs.
We understand ourselves as a queer club and consider binary gender attributions to be obsolete. Genders are constructions and attributions. We make this clear with an asterisk (*) or colon (:) and strive to use gender-neutral language and procedures. Please let us know where there is room for improvement if it isn’t always working. At the same time, we are also aware of power structures and we are trying to learn how to better deal with these.
Naturally. However, we do try to have as diverse a door and awareness team as possible.

During club nights and during bar hours, you can speak to anyone on our staff on location or send us an email at feedback@schwuz.de at any time.

The best way to contact us is via our contact form. During the nightly club hours, time is often short or things can get lost in the shuffle. If there’s an emergency or it’s urgent, then of course you should talk to us directly!

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