PANSY’s Halloween events are truly legendary. Of course a lot of events and parties slap the word Halloween into their title these days, but let’s be honest, most of them will not diverge much from their regular program and not a lot of guests will really dress up for the occasion. It’s also not really in the spirit of Halloween to move the event conveniently to the weekend. It is, after all, a holiday on the 31st of October – for a reason.
photos: Steven P. Carnarius
All this right-wing movement going on in the world right now, you got to be kidding me! These people need to get it together already. It’s 2017 for crying out loud, you would think by now we have all moved beyond being whiny-ass bitches scared of everything and everyone that is different than them. But apparently not, I guess it takes a couple more centuries to realize that we’re all different kinds of people living side by side and no-one’s taking anything away from anyone just by being there and being different and it’s all gonna be okay if we just stop waiving those torches and hayforks in the air like some mad medieval faire.
Given Germany’s shady history it’s all a bit more hush hush here with the right-wing shenanigans. But it’s there: the racism, the homophobia and transphobia, discrimination, assault; you name it – we got it! But sometimes we forget about it because the media is relatively calm about it. But talk to anyone who is not white and straight and they will be able to tell you stories that will make your toes curl.
Once upon a time there was a stunningly beautiful bearded princess called Mary-Jane. Contrary to her magnificent looks she lived in a quite unglamorous place called Berlin. It was a small little town mostly inhabited by poor people and other kinds of basic bitches. But Mary-Jane loved it here anyway because it was a tranquil place without a lot of fuzz and she just loved the feeling to be the most beautiful girl in the village.
But she had one problem that gave her a lot of grief. Despite her impeccable looks and most charming wits she couldn’t for the love of god find a damn boyfriend. And it wasn’t for lack of options because Berlin was actually known to host the most attractive man-meat on the mainland. The problem was quite another: There were just too many! It was like grabbing into a bucket full of slippery fish. It’s simply impossible to hold on to one: Just a lubricated whip with the tail and they were gone.
photos: Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert
Gender, identity and self-expression are very delicate, intimate subjects to address.
The true kaleidoscope of human identities, facets and preferences is as diverse as there are people on this planet. Beyond a world of black and white, there is a whole range of color, which makes life interesting. Yet we all want the same thing: recognition for who we are and what we feel.
And to get said recognition, visibility is crucial.
“Gender concerns anybody and is part of every identity,” says Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert, author of the new book ‘Gender as a Spectrum’.
The photographer teamed up with entertainer, artist and Transgender activist Kaey, and portrayed people from Berlin and various places on the planet. All of them are a facet of the kaleidoscope, moving between the polarity of gender. For over two years Ohlert worked on this book with Kaey, capturing people in an authentic, emotional way that is both raw and rare. While Ohlert took the photographs, Kaey interviewed the portrayed people, so the reader gets to know the personalities behind the picture even better, learning about their personal self-concepts, self-definitions, views and wishes.
And maybe the reader starts asking himself these questions, finding answers about himself, or maybe just learning about the people that are all with him on the kaleidoscope of being a person.
Fashion in Berlin comes and goes. One day you dress unconventionally chic, the next day you have to get your gym outfit ready for a party because sportswear became the new avant-garde and today we are constantly underdressed (people call it Normcore, but I think it’s just a new way of being lazy).
But for some characters of the Berlin nightlife underdressing ist not an option. Because their style is not only a fashion statement but more a moral attitude. Drag Queens are always sitting in the front row because of their privilege of diversity. With their elegant and daring extravaganza they are questioning mainstream society and protesting conservative gender stereotypes. Fair enough, they were always a role model in the LGBT community and should always be treated with respect and devotion. As I mentioned before here, being a proud and sparkling butterfly not only makes the Earth a little bit brighter and more colorful, but also reassures us hat we have to dare to be ourselves, however strange and bold that self may prove to be.
For this pride week we wanted to celebrate the beauty and talent of the Grand Dames of the local Drag Queen scene. For that our skilled photographer Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert visited the Dragrace party where each screening of the latest episode of Ru Paul’s Dragrace was followed by hilarious and spectacular stage performances by drag queen PANSY and her favorite girls. Enjoy the photos of this incredible Birds of Paradise after the jump.