Brix Schaumburg's bike tour: Courage for visibility for queer people!

Brix Schaumburg's bike tour: Courage for visibility for queer people!

In the next few days, the city of Gütersloh will be the setting for a special event: Brix Schaumburg, Germany's first outed trans actor, will stop off on a bike tour across the country. His goal? Bringing people and organizations together and promoting exchange between different realities of life. He wants to make the realities of queer people's lives visible and thus break down hurdles and prejudices. It is a journey with a deep meaning that is intended to give you courage to stand up for yourself. The Schaumburg reading is organized by Foreground – Space for Creativity and Encounter and supported by Gütersloh Marketing. Maps are available from the Tourist Information Office and further information is available on the website www.lesestadt-guetersloh.de.

But the theater scene is not only bustling in Gütersloh, but also elsewhere. An example of this is the musical “SIX”, which deals with the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII in a gripping way. Each woman raises the microphone to reclaim her identity in this stirring piece. It succeeds in combining 500 years of historical tragedy with contemporary empowerment. “SIX” has made a name for itself worldwide and received consistently positive reviews, including a New York Times “Critic’s Pick” award. Variety also gave the musical high marks, giving it a rating of “A Solid 10.” With over 100 million streams worldwide and 26 awards won, including the 2022 Tony Award® for Best Original Music, “SIX” is much more than a musical hit piece – it is a cultural phenomenon. Further information can be found at sixonbroadway.com.

Queer themes in theater

Queer themes are also becoming increasingly important in children's and youth theater. An inspiring example is the children's play "Life doesn't scare me" by the Junges Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, which is based on a poem by Maya Angelou and deals with important questions of identity. It shows how characteristics, expectations of family and society as well as group membership are discussed. The incorporation of queer motifs into children's and youth theater is not a coincidence, but an important step, because children and young people often experience both recognition and exclusion.

The discussion about queer identities questions heteronormativity and illuminates complex questions of identity. There are already numerous examples of queer themes in children's theater, such as “A Kangaroo Like You” by Ulrich Hub, whose production was boycotted by parents in 2017, which illustrates the challenges that still exist. But it is precisely the space of the theater that offers children and young people the opportunity to deal with these topics, to find themselves and to develop mindfulness in relation to sexuality. In plays like “Stören” by Suna Gürler, queer young people themselves take on a central role, which also makes the theater an important safe space. For more information on these important discourses you can visit the website nachtkritik.de visit.

All of these developments show that queer themes in culture and theater are not only becoming more important, but are also necessary to promote awareness of diversity and identity. Whether in Gütersloh with Brix Schaumburg or on the world's big stages - exchange, understanding and visibility are becoming increasingly important.