Hear Our Voices - Representation Matters!

In the state capital of Germany's south-west region Baden-Württemberg - Stuttgart - there is a project of the Türkische Gemeinde in Baden-Württemberg e.V. (lit. "association of turkish local community of Baden-Württemberg"). Their project is called Elvan Alem. "Elvan" is a unisex turkish name, and also a word for "mulitcolored", while "alem" means "world".

A "colorful world" is what Elvan Alem wants to embrace. Elvan Alem (https://www.elvan-alem.de/) is a project for LGBBTTIQA-migrants in Germany.

I myself work in migration work, mostly with juvenile people and young adult migrants. I'm quite new to the issue because I studied teaching and cultural education and though I wrote my thesis on migration work with the help of theatre work I only started to be in the migration field at September 2020. There's still so much to learn but what I learned already: It can be hell for migrants and mostly refugees coming to Germany and going through all our bureaucratic bullshit. The laws and everything are not really designed for what is happening since 2015 and Germany doesn't really give people the feeling that they are welcome.

I need to clarify here:

I am not talking about social workers, not talking about integration projects and volunteers.

I am talking about the laws. I'm so lucky to be born here by german parents. You can't imagine how hard it is for most of the refugees and migrants. 

 

Elvan Alem and I are cooperating for some workshops about LGBTTIQA (or queer) topics because in my work I realised that there are many migrants and refugees who are in the queer space but cannot talk about it with their families or friends because of discrimination and incomprehension. This is sadly often because of cultural and educational issues. So I contacted Elvan Alem to help me create some safe spaces for young, queer migrants. 

Elvan Alem then invited me to one of their CSD-Events which was called "Hear Our Voices".

It took place at 29.07.2021 in Stuttgart. And it really emotionally hit me.

 

On Thursday, 29.07.2021, me and many other people met up at Elvan Alem. It was a closed event mostly with professionals who work in the LGBTTIQA- or migration-field. It was closed to maintain a safe space for queer refugees who shared their voices. 

 

"Hear our voices - queer refugees report"

 

That was the title of the event and I did not really know what would come to me. 

 

What came was a 15 minute movie Elvan Alem created with queer refugees who talked about their experiences and lifes. They never showed their faces to keep their privacy but they showed shadows, hands, feet, silhouettes, mouths, voices... It was impressive. There were 4 or 5 refugees, I think, who told us their story. Trans* and queer migrants sharing their struggles with fleeing their home, living with different cultures, trying to make a living in Germany and sharing their thoughts and anxiety. They do struggle because Germany isn't making it any easy for them to integrate themselves here.

The laws are inhumane, in my honest opinion. They struggle not because they are incapable but because we live in a world where societies and cultures still hinder queer people - especially trans* people - to live happily and safely. 

 

I'm queer and trans*. But I live in Germany and though Germany still sucks in many places when it comes to queer rights - and hell, the trans* laws in Germany are a disgrace for humanity - my struggles are nothing compared to the people telling their stories here. 

The movie hit me hard, it made me choke up and I nearly cried. It was not easy to watch it, not easy to listen to what happened to some of our fellow queer and trans* friends. It's not easy because I can feel that too. I know how discrimination and trans- and homophobia feels like. I don't know how racism feels like though. I don't know how fleeing feels like.

But it hurts when other people hurt. 

 

After the wonderful, emotional movie we discussed the issues, as queer people, as professionals, as germans, as listeners. The protagonists of the film were there too, with an interpreter. They shared some more of their feelings and problems and I wished - I still do WISH so much - that I could help them. But listening, hearing their voices - means so much to them. They thanked us for listening to them while I was sitting there thinking

 

"My God... you are all so strong and beautiful and grateful... Even after all the stuff you went through, you sit here, politely demanding to be seen. Damnit, you all are idols to our community!"

 

There is one thing I will never ever forget, besides the whole evening, the movie and those gorgeous people.

One beautiful trans woman shared something with us, and I am paraphrasing here:

 

She told us that she always comes too early to her meetings at Elvan Alem just to walk the streets up and down. Not just to stretch her legs. But so people could see her. And she further explained that she doesn't mean herself. But she as a trans woman. She goes out there, purposely, walking down the streets of the capital of Baden-Württemberg, as a trans woman - one of the most marginalized groups of people in the entire WORLD - just so people can see a trans woman. So people get used to the appearance of trans people.

This woman, who had so much to endure in her life, goes out there, showing herself, so that cis and hetero people get used to us.

So that we can walk safely in the streets. 

I may sound histrionic but I will never forget that.

When I thought about it in my car, I cried. 

She knows how representation matters. She IS representation. 

And she is one of a handful of strong, beautiful, queer refugees who created that movie to get heared. To be seen. To represent.

 

People who get represented by the media, by politicians, by social media, by books, movies, etc... will never get the need to have representation. But representation matters so much. When I see a queer or trans* person I feel excited. And most of all, I SEE that I am not alone, that I am not crazy, that I am valid and ok. That's what I want to create with this blog. That's what I want to create with being so open. That's what the queer people who created Elvan Alem's movie want.

Representation. Visibility. 

And then: Change. 

 

We do all this for change. 

 

I am so thankful for the experience I had at the event. I am so grateful for being allowed to watch the film and to talk to the diverse people creating it.

They are all so beautiful.

You are all so beautiful, strong and valid. 

To everybody who shares their voice:

 

Thank you.

 

We need that. 

 

It's our fight for change. 

 

<3