SchwuZ developed from the gay emancipation movement of the 1970s as a meeting spot and place for taking action – primarily for gay men back then. The founding of the association took place in 1995. The goal was to protect the loose structure by founding the association within this officially recognized framework. Across four decades SchwuZ grew and developed to become a space for all queers. Today SchwuZ celebrates lesbians, transgender and intersex people, bisexuals and asexuals, queens, cross-dressers, fetish fans, bears, drag kings and drag queens, and all other subversive genders wherever they may be found, regardless of their backgrounds and nationalities. We live queer visibility and emancipation. And we’re also non-denominational and not aligned with a specific political party.
The association is dedicated to the preservation and further development of SchwuZ as a space for the queer community and queer culture. Queer feminism and anti-discrimination work that is as intersectional as possible are the foundations for our actions. We find new impulses and pathways to strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community – always as part of a process and always striving for positive change. The SchwuZ Association commissions the SchwuZ Cultural Events GmbH, the SchwuZ Queer Foundation gGmbH, and the SchwuZ Club Management GmbH to realize the association’s goals. We regularly work in close cooperation with the management team. As a supervisory board, we support the management team in implementing the association’s goals of bringing SchwuZ, the queer cultural space, to life. The SchwuZ Association e.V. currently has around 100 members who are between 25 to 70 years old. The association has an annual general assembly for all the members. The board regularly informs members about news from SchwuZ. Transparency and appreciation are very important to us. The association’s work has been carried out in German so far. The general assembly includes providing of information, debates and decisions about relevant issues. In turbulent times in particular, for instance during a pandemic, many members volunteer to help keep SchwuZ running. Whether it’s solidarity events, drinks-to-go, courtyard parties, or streaming events: we never run short on creative ideas. SchwuZ remains lively, sassy, combative and political! We’re always on the move.
Volunteering for the SchwuZ Association
The work of the SchwuZ Association is based on the foundation of association bylaws that contain provisions about the association’s purposes and goals, its structures, and membership. Below you will find an overview of the most important facts about the association.
SchwuZ e. V. Mahlower Straße 24 12049 Berlin Germany
The association’s purpose is the promotion and emancipation of all queers. We stand united against any stereotyping, objectification and classification due to ethnic background, cultural background, gender, sexuality, disability, class and age. The association’s goals include the full participation of queers in society, legal equality and, ultimately, the transformation toward a queer utopia! We carry out these tasks on a volunteer basis. Our actions are strictly in line with the association’s purposes. The association is non-denominational and not aligned with a specific political party.
Any natural or legal person who supports the association’s goals may become a member. The association is made up of active members, supporters and honorary members.
You can request a membership at any time via email. After receipt of the email on our end, you will be sent a membership form that you can fill out and send back. The association will then check the application and it will either be accepted or rejected in due course. Membership costs 30 euros annually. If you are a student or receive financial assistance from the government, the cost is 20 euros annually.
Stefan Fürst – 1st Chair
Thomas Sielaff – 2nd Chair
Stephan Hankammer – Finance
Lana Labia – Special Tasks
Leo Wild – Special Tasks
You have any questions? We are here for you.
Send us an e-mail! We respond to all your questions as soon as possible.
SchwuZ e.V.
Mahlower Str. 24
12049 Berlin
