Under Pressure

As part of the retrospective Walter Schels . 16° Pisces, C/O Berlin and the Berliner Landeszentrale für politische Bildung invite you to a discussion on intersex and trans* perspectives. The evening focuses on Walter Schels’ series TRANS* (2013–2025), which features portraits of around 30 young people whom the photographer accompanied during their transition.

In Berlin, as in many parts of Germany, the rights of intersex and trans* people are increasingly under pressure. Civic education today is not only about combating discrimination and legal inequalities, but also about empowering people to position themselves confidently in an increasingly polarized society. The current political debate reveals how progress achieved through the Self-Determination Act (SBGG) and the visibility of queer communities has simultaneously brought intersex people further into public attention, while the lives of intersex individuals often remain overlooked.

This situation makes it clear that intersex and trans* people face both shared and distinct challenges. At the same time, recent years have seen a rise in anti-queer movements in Berlin, creating difficult conditions for many young people. The panel brings together perspectives from academia, activism, and counseling to shed light on these developments and explore possibilities for solidarity, protection, and participation.

Admission includes entry to the retrospective Walter Schels . 16° Pisces (Jun 20 – Sep 2, 2026).

Louka Maju Goetzke's sociological research engages with how gender/sex is fixed and how it changes. They coordinate the interdisciplinary research area Transition and Transgression: Fluid Gender Movements at the University of Koblenz, and previously conducted research on gender transitions, the Frankfurt Institute for Sexual Science and the question of which self gets to determine its own gender/sex.

Mari Günter is a community educator (Dipl. Gemeindepädagogin) and certified systemic therapist (SG) with extensive experience in counseling, healthcare, and psychosocial support. She has worked for many years with trans*, inter*, and queer people and their families and serves as a policy advisor at the Federal Association Trans* (BVT* e.V.). As a co-author of several national clinical guidelines on trans* health and author of specialist publications, she has played a significant role in advancing the field. 

Benyamin L. Jakob is a systemic therapist* and supervisor* by training. Following various professional roles in vocational education for at-risk youth, as well as in both outpatient and residential youth welfare services, he currently works at the Inter*Trans*Beratung Queer Leben and maintains a private practice in Berlin. Alongside his years of work with children and adolescents exhibiting "creative behaviors" and their families, he has always been particularly guided by questions regarding the inherent, personal identity of people on their path. 

Luan Pertl is Co-Managing Director of the Schwules Museum in Berlin, intersex activist, peer counselor and systemic organizational consultant. For more than 20 years, Luan Pertl has been engaged in political activism against LGBTIQ hostility, with the past 10 years focusing on discrimination against intersex people in medicine and society. Luan advocates for self-determination and bodily integrity.

Kaey Kiel is a singer, presenter, and fashion designer. For over 20 years, she has been a queer activist and has advocated for trans rights. She has organized demonstrations, festivals, and a wide variety of events, and has already published a book and several albums.