Just the other week, on July 22nd, we celebrated the Dyke* March in Berlin.
Yes, the parade is the ultimate paradise for lesbians but it’s also a demonstration to show the world that we exist and that we are here proudly celebrating who we are and the community that we have been building for decades from the shadow. “Look over here, look over there, lesbians are everywhere!”
photo: ZDF/Marcus Glahn.
Following the recent debut of the first gay German TV show All You Need comes a new show shining a light on lesbian love stories – and we’re quite excited about it! Unfortunately, these stories have been pretty underrepresented and it’s long overdue they get the space they deserve.
Directed by Leonie Krippendorff, “Loving Her” tells the story of Hannah and her dating life in Berlin and it could not be more relatable to us. After she has had a hard time finding work in Berlin during the pandemic she is about to move back to live with her parents when she bumps into an ex-girlfriend and her new partner which sets a whole trip down memory lane in motion including all the relationships and affairs she experienced in Berlin. Each episode is dedicated to another girl that was part of her love life in the city and each represents different challenges and life lessons she learned.
Berlin is kind of a tough city for cinephiles, especially for those of us that (still!) don’t speak German. American films usually come out months later in Germany, and foreign films are either dubbed or subtitled in German. The biggest movies of the year usually come out in December, meaning that some titles still aren’t available in Berlin until February, March or even later, well after the awards have been given. And forget about downloading them (unless you have a VPN)!
But there is a bright side: the Berlinale is one of the film industry’s most prestigious festivals, and it’s actually the largest one in the world, based on annual attendance. Our international community is in luck because all the films are subtitled in English (and German too, sometimes). Instead of being late to the party, the party actually kicks off here: many of these are world premieres, without distribution deals even. So it really is a treat to attend a Berlinale screening.
Tom of Finland movie
For the most time of the year we shut up about our love for movies showing naked skin, pleasure and lust. But there is one week where this is different and we’re out and proud, unapologetically screaming: I LOVE PORN! It’s the time of the Pornfilmfestival Berlin every year in the fall, showcasing other visual presentations of sex and love that are not degrading, insensitive or only representing one niche of the sexual spectrum. It’s the one week a year we can hardly wait for – a whole week fueled with films, panels, readings and performances that explore sexual perspectives outside of social norms, construed identities and morals.
Love, by Gaspard Noe
A recently-published study revealed Millennials as the least-straight generation in the history of LGBTI*+ research. They’re nearly twice as likely to identify as non-straight than other adults. And as more boys, girls and folks that are neither (or both) come out of the closet, one would hope that a certain normality would have settled in around those sexual orientations beyond straight. I know it would make my (dating-)life a lot easier.
I’ve never been shy about my orientation, which is best defined as: if you’re hot and smart and enthusiastic about me putting my hand down your pants, I’m really going to be cool with whatever I find there. But I’ll classify as bisexual for easiness sake most of the time.
It feels like there is a grand old billboard somewhere in Berlin that says “Bisexuality: the sexuality everyone is entitled to have an opinion on!” Which is weird, because last time I checked, the only people that get to have an opinion on my sexuality are people that are afflicted by it. And by “afflicted” I mean “get to have sex with me”.
BCALLA
Winter is cumming! No, that is not a porn-spoof of Games of Thrones. It’s actually the hardcore reality we poor tortured souls living in Berlin are facing right now. But there is comfort waiting for us. Every Autumn we are blessed with the so-called “Sex Week” its main event being the biggest sex fair in Germany called Venus which happened over the past weekend. This is not really something that we would seriously send you guys to. There is another alternative highlight you should check out if you are interested in sexuality as a form of creative expression. The Pornfilmfestival Berlin is happing every your in the end of October with a program more diverse and colorful than ever. From intellectual documentary about historical porn makers, intense feature films and a fun collection of short films there is quite a lot of stuff to discover and to get inspired/aroused by. What I really like about this festival is that it presents a good mix of international filmmakers and also local Berlin talents. A few trailers to give you an impression right after the jump.
So, the other day I unintentionally landed in the lesbian/gay/undecided bar that is the Barbie Deinhoff in Kreuzberg. Quite interesting folk that is hangig out here, I must say. That night we had the pleasure to experience a little pre-show to the Queer X Show Tour which will make its official stop tonight at LUX. Raunchy! The full tits, orgasms and lesbian-encounter action after the jump.