Category Archives: Berlin

Once and Future Queer Berlin: Chez Pansy is coming, if we help!

Mixed media drawing. Berlin drag producer Pansy performs at the inaugural Ringelpiez Berlin show at Theatre des Westens by Suzanne Forbes Aug 22 2023It already seems like a dream that this happened.

Last year, legendary Berlin drag producer Pansy co-directed a performance program and hosted monthly drag parties called Ringelpiez at Berlin’s historic Theater des Westens. But that beautiful showcase for Queer Berlin was abruptly ended as German culture began to shut down, censor and cancel all over.

Now, Pansy is making a new sanctuary for Berlin queers!

Berlin drag producer and host Pansy at the Theater Des Westens. Pansy, a white drag queen, wears an elaborate gown and stands in the beautiful foyer of the Theater.

Chez Pansy is coming, if we all help to make it happen!

At a time when creative and community sanctuary and a privately funded venue with new queer jobs is desperately needed, Chez Pansy will provide both. And Pansy has confirmed that Chez Pansy will have disability access and a disabled bathroom, incredibly rare and not required by law in Berlin.

Nana Schewitz performs at Ringelpiez Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Nov 6 2023Above, Berlin superstar Nana Schewitz performing at the inaugural Ringelpiez party by Pansy, last summer.

A few months later Jews! Jews! Jews!, the gloriously cheeky and openhearted variety revue Nana co-produces with Lolita Vavoom, had their Hanukkah show canceled by the scheduled venue. Creative life, community and funding in Germany is being shut down at a terrifying speed.

I’m so glad I was able to go to one of Pansy’s drag shows at Theater des Westens IRL.

Pansy made sure I had an extremely comfortable chair, and I got to be photographed by my dear friend, colleague and Patron Daniel Paikov.

The opportunity to draw all these marvelous performers in a beautiful, luxurious, grown-up venue seems hard to imagine now. But it can happen again.

Below, lovely Lola Rose brought magic to the Theater des Westens.

Eternal Muse Lola, so happy to draw her IRL again!

You can find Miss Lola Rose on Insta and my drawings of Lola Rose here.

Drawing of Akynos, a curvacious Black femme, performing at Pansy's Ringelpiez Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Aug 24 2023Akynos is always a pleasure to draw.

She burned up the dance floor! To follow The Incredible, Edible Akynos:  linktree and Insta and twitter, get on her Patreon, and see previous drawings I’ve made of her here!

Ixa Psyborg djs at Pansy's Ringelpiez Berlin by Suzanne Forbes July 26 2023Beautiful Ixa Psyborg dj’ing under the pink lights in the glittering Theater des Westens foyer.

I always love to draw Ixa. Their Pink Noize album is on bandcamp here.

Missteak, a plus size nonbinary person, performs at the inaugural Ringelpiez Berlin show at Theatre des Westens by Suzanne Forbes Aug 22 2023First time drawing the wonderful Miss Steak!

Such a great performer. Their piebald cow suit of velcro flesh parts and their interactive performance with it is fantastic.

Daniel Paikov’s beautiful photos of this show start here. I loved this show, and I am so grateful for my Patrons’ support, which made it possible for me to document it. You can help me keep working, here.

As public funding for the arts collapses in Germany, we will need to fund it ourselves.

Let’s start with Chez Pansy. The GFM is closing on 20% of its goal.

Fan art of Dornika for their new video, “Nobody”!

Crude zine-style drawing of Dornika, a plus size femme-ish person with huge spiked hair, clawing at the air.Queer Berlin legend Dornika is an amazing musician.

Their song “Nobody” has a new video, so I made this drawing inspired by it!

This summer was terrible for me, as I got sick again after a period of remission, and watching videos of the crowd chant along with Dornika “Nobody Fucking Owns My Body!” at clubs and festivals was a great comfort. The video for the song is absolutely awesome. Please check it out here – it’s age restricted 😉 so you know it’s good!

The video premiere party for Nobody last week had so many cool parts, including tattooing by Queer Berlin mainstay Bard Tattoo, and I would have loved to be there and get one. I was too sick, but I hope so hard to be able to catch a Dornika show in the spring.

Today is Dornika’s birthday, and her next project has a very modest crowdfunding goal up, for BUSH!! Contribute to Dornika’s next video, “Bush”, here.

Previous drawings of Dornika, doing drag as Persian Daddy, and at Adenauerplatz.

Dornika’s film Dream Dwellers! It premiered at Schwules Museum in November. You can watch Dream Dwellers for free on the queer anti-capitalist platform Realitytvwow, right here!

Dornika online:

Manyfacedgodx performing insta

Own Your Voice music teaching insta

Dornika on Soundcloud

Fatbulous on bandcamp with lyrics!

Fatbulous on Spotify

Fatbulous on Youtube music