TOGETHER WE ARE AMERICA

 

Urban artist Alberto León's graffiti in favour of peace on a street in Barcelona

Berlin Blossoms

In the December 1995 issue of Gay Times travel writer Stuart Linden looked at the post-Wall Berlin of the 1990s and asked what had been lost and what had been gained in the reunification process. I had kept this article in my paper archive since then and decided to type it up and post it online as it offers today's readers/travellers a new insight into what those analogical times were like as compared to our smartphone-centered digital age.

Die Löwenbrücke im Tiergarten / The Lion Bridge at Tiergarten Park

In the Stiller Don bar you can still find a huge painting of Lenin on the wall, although recently it's been moved from pride place into a dark corner , where it now gathers dust and a creeping nostalgia. Stiller Don is typical of the gay venues which you find in Berlin's former eastern sector. It's a small cafe bar with wooden furniture and low-hung, metal lampshades. On the pavement outside there are tables and chairs which become filled with men and women of all ages, deep in conversation. All of them quite happy to talk to a stranger, and share the secrets of where to find the best of gay Berlin. They are an intriguing, welcoming, un-westernised group of people.

For those into catching cultural change, there is perhaps no better time to visit Berlin. Six years after The Wall came down, the commercial differences between the west and east sectors of this city are quickly vanishing and, eventually, so too will the still-noticeable them and us differences in outlook. The former eastern sector houses one third of the gay scene and can still boast of a charm that is reminiscent of the gay scene in Prague, another former eastern block domain. Stiller Don is just one of the many gay bars that open at 6pm and close... well, when the last person goes home.  In contrast, the western sector bars are more like other pink-packaged venues of the civilised world --specialised, interior-designed, efficient and, above all, predictable.

In the months that followed the removal of the wall, there was an initial two-way flurry of mixing between east and west. But unfortunately, whereas former east Germans are till keen to visit West Berlin bars, the former west Berliners are not so interested in the bars of the east now they have tried them out. With this one-way ticket in operation, it may only be a matter of time before the scene of the east is forced to conform with the styles of its wealthier neighbours.

According to gay folklore, the colourful history of Berlin alone sets it alongside other European "gay capitals" such as Amsterdam, Paris or London. Times may have changed, but Berlin is still a happening place. Since reunification, both the eastern and western parts of the city have once again started to blossom. Berlin is to be the administrative focus of all German life once more, with the country's Parliament relocating to the rebuilt Reichstag by the year 2000. Money is being invested in buildings and infrastructure and, with this, the population is bound to increase. Whilst no German truly expects Berlin to continue as the avant-garde gay Garden of Eden that it has been in the past, there is a renewed air of excitement and daring found on the gay scene. This is a city set on maintaining its liberal traditions and the unified Berlin now has over 50 gay and lesbian bars, clubs and restaurants --all eager to suit every taste, no matter how bizarre.

The main hope for east Berlin is that it retains an architectural heritage mostly lost in the west of the city. After the Second World War, the west Germans brought in architects to rebuild their share of the city, whereas in east Berlin, the Communists slowly restored the bomb-damaged buildings or left them as they were. The result is that there remains and old-fashioned air about the east which seems to be reflected in the attitudes of the people too. East Berliners still value the art of casual conversation and their bars rely less on loud music and noisy architecture and more on one-to-one conversation, although you are still likely to hear Boy George crooning away in the background. In the west sector bars, cruising tends to be faster, and people seem shallower. 

Curiously, the reunified Berlin is now a city of not two but three distinct gay areas because the bars in the former west are themselves focused around two separate areas. Kreuzberg is the cheaper part, being alternative and almost hippy-like in decor and people. Here you will find the punks and the new bohemians of the gay scene, loitering in weird and wonderful places such as Cafe Anal (there are clear perspex partitions in the toilets, and flirtatious glances over chilled beers and frothy coffees are almost guaranteed). Bar Drama, a larger and very popular drinkers' bar, and Roses Club, a tiny bar to meet in and mellow the night away, both pull regular crowds which spill out onto the pavement on busy nights. 

It is in this area that you will also find an excellent mixed restaurant. The Last Supper serves a splendid mixture of vegetarian and fish dishes, divine to eat and each with delightful names like Madonna Duet (or how about Der Koch Auf Saude Maso Trip?). For me, the whole experience was made complete by the background music which included Marlene Dietrich singing Lili Marlene, followed by Liza Minelli belting out highlights from Cabaret. As with everything else with Berlin however, food does not come cheap, and a meal for two with a bottle of wine will set you back £50 or more. But, without doubt, the busiest gay district of Berlin is Motzstrasse. After taking the underground to Nollendorfplatz, you will find yourself in the Berlin equivalent of Soho, and here you are bound to stumble across somewhere to suit your personal taste. A useful starting point is the Berlin Lesbian and Gay Centre, which includes both a cafe, Man o Meter, and a dropping centre where they supply an excellent gay map covering the whole city. The information service also includes help to find budget accommodation.

This area is also home to Tom's Bar, a strictly men-only haven. A loing narrow bar with two rooms on the ground floor leads to a very popular room in the basement, which appeared to be lacking in ventilation as everyone who came out was blinking with blinking and perspiring somewhat. Next door to Tom's, Hafen is a very similar bar which attracts a younger crowd, but again one popular with the leather and tattoo brigade.

If you are interested in a more modern vision of gay Berlin then, just across the road, Lentz is possibly the busiest cafe bar in the city, oozing with Calvin Klein-clad bous of all shapes and sizes. The music here is up-beat and loud, the waiters are even louder and the crowd is youngest and the loudest of them all. The atmosphere is reminiscent of London's Village Soho or ManchesterManto --great fun, but bar prices that can sting at around £4 for a beer. 

In the Motzstrasse area, nobody hits the main gay bars much before 11pm because the clubs are open from midnight until 6am. But early evenings (and lunchtimes) can be spent in Cafe Bar Connection, a modern street cafe bar that makes excellent sandwiches too. The crowd is varied and, if you get there early enough, you can grab an outside table and get an eyeful of the kind of guys and gals you will be seeing later on in the clubs. 

Curiously, Berlin's main gay disco is called Club Connection, although there is no connection between the two. Surprisingly, the place is only open on Friday and Saturday, probably because the scene is very weekend-oriented. Five quid gets you in and buys your first drink. Music-wise, Techno is currently big in Berlin, but dancing is awkward  because the dance floors tend to be small and cramped. Only a quarter of Club Connection is given over to drinking and dancing, with the rest of the venue being more like a giant sex supermarket. There is a well-stocked shop selling all kinds of boy toys, two floors of cabins and video screens,  and the cellar provides a variety of naughty rooms with some lovely soft leather swings in one and a smelly bath in another.

In the daytime, the best place to find gay life is at the (in)famous Tiergarten, Berlin's answer to Hyde Park. A huge section of the park is known to all as Queen's Meadow if only because, in summer at least, you seem to find the entire resident gay and lesbian population of Berlin here --nude sunbathing, playing volleyball and riding around the many secluded pathways and ponds on bicycles. Should you visit Berlin in warm weather, relaxing with a picnic in the Tiergarten is a must, if only to soak up the atmosphere of the gay space. Cruising is blatant in the park and goes on all day and night. Whilst daylight is safe enough, caution is advised at night. Walking to the park past the Zoo, for example, you see reminders of the seedier side of Berlin night life in the form of of used needles carelessly discarded amongst the (more welcome) used condoms.

For another daytime pursuits, Berlin offers space and an element of calm that is lacking in most other cities. The city is comparable in size to London yet has a considerable smaller resident population, which means less traffic and less stress. The public transport system is extensive and has won many awards in Europe for its design and reliability (although I found it particularly difficult to master the underground due to the lack of sign-posting in the stations, often fining myself heading in the wrong direction). A trip on the underground (U-Bahn) or trams (S-Bahn) will cost around £1.75. If you are as hopeless as I was, then just throw yourself in the back of a taxi, wave a map in the driver's face and he will magically transport you to your destination. The only flaw in this approach is the cost. Taxi drivers in Berlin are honest to the point where they will even knock money off your fare if they have taken a wrong turn or got lost, but a taxi still costs £2.50 just to sit in, and from the Brandenburg Gate to the Stiller Don bar will cost a stonking £12.

Other methods of transport include rickshaw taxis and riverboat cruises but, if serious sightseeing is your thing, then try catching the Bus 100, which will take you through the Brandenburg Gate and past the Tiergarten. You can hop on and off this bus at will to get a closer look at places such as the Reichstag and Unter den Linden. The walk from Juni 17te Strasse (where there's an excellent flea market on Sunday mornings) and the Victory Monument (as seen on the U2 video) to the Brandenburg Gate and on down Unter den Linden, is well worth the shoe leather for the architecture alone.

If you go looking for The Wall, Check Point Charlie or the remains of Hitler's Bunker, then disappointment is almost guaranteed,  because [some of these landmarks] have been swept away by a country more keen to look forward than to dwell on its past. The Führer Bunker is actually buried under a children's playground (behind a record store at Wilhelmstrasse 92); the feeling is that to dig this up and open it to the public is more likely to create a place of pilgrimage for neo-fascists, than to simply remember an era of Berlin's history. There are plans to mark where the Berlin Wall once stood , but the city has other forward-looking priorities. One nod in the direction of history is the current rebuilding of the legendary Hotel Aldon to its original designs and on its original site, next to the Brandenburg Gate. 

I was in Berlin for just four days which proved to be fine for a first visit, allowing ample time to sample both the former east and west of this huge city. There must, however, be many intriguing gay haunts here that I never had time to discover and, if you really want to get a feel for where Berlin has been or where it may be going, you would be wise to stay for at least a full week. After all, Berlin may soon be the gay capital of mainland Europe once again. (Gay Times, December 1995)

Related articles:

Behind the shimmering 90s and Berlin’s great divide

Berlin, the 90s. An insight from the OSTKREUZ photographers

Reclaiming Conversation

Renowned media scholar Sherry Turkle investigates how a flight from conversation undermines our relationships, creativity, and productivity—and why reclaiming face-to-face conversation can help us regain lost ground.

We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.

Preeminent author and researcher Sherry Turkle has been studying digital culture for over thirty years. Long an enthusiast for its possibilities, here she investigates a troubling consequence: at work, at home, in politics, and in love, we find ways around conversation, tempted by the possibilities of a text or an email in which we don’t have to look, listen, or reveal ourselves.

We develop a taste for what mere connection offers. The dinner table falls silent as children compete with phones for their parents’ attention. Friends learn strategies to keep conversations going when only a few people are looking up from their phones. At work, we retreat to our screens although it is conversation at the water cooler that increases not only productivity but commitment to work. Online, we only want to share opinions that our followers will agree with – a politics that shies away from the real conflicts and solutions of the public square.

The case for conversation begins with the necessary conversations of solitude and self-reflection. They are endangered: these days, always connected, we see loneliness as a problem that technology should solve. Afraid of being alone, we rely on other people to give us a sense of ourselves, and our capacity for empathy and relationship suffers. We see the costs of the flight from conversation everywhere: conversation is the cornerstone for democracy and in business it is good for the bottom line. In the private sphere, it builds empathy, friendship, love, learning, and productivity.

But there is good news: we are resilient. Conversation cures.

Based on five years of research and interviews in homes, schools, and the workplace, Turkle argues that we have come to a better understanding of where our technology can and cannot take us and that the time is right to reclaim conversation. The most human—and humanizing—thing that we do.

The virtues of person-to-person conversation are timeless, and our most basic technology, talk, responds to our modern challenges. We have everything we need to start, we have each other.

Torture Is Not Culture!

"AT SCHOOL THEY HAVE REPLACED THE SUBJECT OF CIVIC VALUES FOR
BULLFIGHTING VALUES"

British comedian Ricky Gervais has called for bullfighting to be banned after learning of the death of 29-year-old Miguel Ruiz Pérez, who died after being gored during summer festivities in the town of Lerín, in the northeastern Navarre region.

“Poor terrified bull. Ban cruel sports,” he wrote on Monday in a retweet of a Daily Mirror video showing Ruiz Pérez attempting to outrun the animal in a makeshift bullring while hundreds of people looked on.

Gervais has since posted a video on his Facebook page in which he says: “If you decide to torture an animal to death, I hope it defends itself.” Describing the people who watch bullfights as morons, he adds: “If you choose to fight a bull for fun, fuck you.”

The comedian, who shot to fame a decade ago in The Office, dismissed arguments defending bullfighting on the grounds that it was tradition, noting that slavery, witchcraft and child sacrifice were also once regularly practiced: “We’ve moved on… it’s about fucking time you stopped.”

Men attacking and terrorizing the Toro de la Vega in 2017

Gervais tweeted several times about bullfighting over the day: “A matador being killed by a bull is not the tragic bit. Torturing the bull for fun in the first place is the tragic bit.”

The video has since been shared around 10,000 times, with most people supporting Gervais’s position and calling for an end to bullfighting. Gervais is an active defender of animal rights, and recently joined a number of Hollywood stars in condemning the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe last month by a US dentist. “Animals don’t have a voice, but I do. And it’s a big one. My voice is for them and I will never be quiet as long as they are suffering,” he has said.

Growing numbers of Spanish celebrities are also calling for an end to bullfighting and the use of animals in festivities. La tortura no es cultura (Torture isn’t culture) is an awareness drive initiated by PACMA, a political party that supports animal rights. Its campaign to ban the Toro de la Vega, an event dating back to medieval times in which a bull is ritually killed by residents of the town of Tordesillas, Valladolid province, each September 15, has been backed by actors and television personalities such as Dani Rovira, Jorge Javier Vázquez, Eva Isanta and David Muro.

“I find it abhorrent that people can enjoy the suffering of animals,” says Dani Rovira, star of last year’s hit Spanish comedy Ocho apellidos vascos. A demonstration is planned in Madrid for September 12 to call for an end to the Toro de la Vega.

Musicians and other artists have thrown their support behind a planned music festival in Tordesillas to coincide with the Toro de la Vega. 

El País in English, August 19th, 2015

"AND THAT PATRON SAINT, DOES HE KNOW WHAT YOU DO?"

Volcano by JUNGLE: The Music and The Dancing of Our Time

Volcano is a hypnotic dance film by London-based company Jungle, now on YouTube. Not only is Shay Latukolan’s choreography mesmerizing, but also the dancing, the styling, the lighting, the camera work, the cinematography are pure joy. People are comparing some of their dance movements to Bob Fosse. Although the group’s striking series of 14 one-shot music videos has gone viral on social media, you may call Jungle a band, or a music collective — just don’t call them famous, as they are not interested in notions of celebrity. Sill, Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland’s electrifying electronic mix of funk, hip-hop and jazzy/techno beat will get you hooked. Sit back and watch the 49-min. film on your computer or on your TV screen. You are bound to flip out. It's simply a masterpiece of modern dance. Brilliant beyond words. Enjoy it!