Queer in Berlin: The Places and Events You Need to Go to
BY Max Migowski
Generally speaking, Berlin, being the melting pot that it is, is open to everyone, and very embracing toward all ethnicities, sexual orientations, and genders, though this is known to have limitations, particularly in terms of bureaucracy for those who wish to properly relocate to the city, often affiliated with language barriers. Societally, the past few years have seen a troubling increase of currents toward the right, reminiscent of similar movements in France or the UK. These notions concentrate more so in the outer areas of Berlin though, and are not as likely to be identified by tourists as by here-living members of certain communities or opposing political camps.
As a white, bisexual, not necessarily straight-passing cis-gendered male, there is only so much injustice I can report on first-hand. From an LGBTQ+ point of view, the city is pretty safe though. There are certain sketchy parts of town, off of the busier blocks, beyond the Ring, where you might want to go easy on the PDA. But only rarely have I heard of, let alone been involved in serious offenses to have taken place purely on the basis of an individual’s perceived queerness – which does not mean it doesn’t happen. As is a sad fact, Berlin’s and many other big cities’ hate crime rates have surged, so be careful at less-frequented places or during odd hours of the night. These instances occur with fewer witnesses around, late at night, inflicted by drunk and/or short-tempered troublemakers, on near-empty subways or the like, and usually, if even, remain verbal – either way though, if it’s dark out, consider flagging down a cab or calling an Uber if you can to be on the safe side of things.
