Conference Mexico City

What began as a gay movement in the Stonewall period became more differentiated in the wake of gender studies and the recognition of a whole spectrum of gender identities. The ACT UP movement of the 1980s and 1990s in particular challenged traditional notions of gender in academia, society, and politics.

But even today members of the gay and lesbian mainstream often struggle to accept non-binary gender identities. Even though these groups were and continue to be instrumental in overcoming traditional roles – now more than ever, as the heteronormative and homosexual lifestyles of the 21st century converge.

Roland Emmerich’s ambitious attempt to process the Stonewall events in a film failed in the eyes of a large part of the audience precisely because it did not take sufficient account of the decisive role that queer people outside the gay/lesbian dichotomy played in the revolt.

How do we deal with the reality of queer diversity? How can small minorities be granted equal rights?Are there any historical precedents? How can the history of the struggle against gender discrimination be rewritten? Does it make sense to differentiate gender identities any further?

In partnership with

Four exhibition venues, four panel discussions, four themes: parallel to the exhibition, there will be panel discussions in Toronto, New York, Mexico City, and Berlin. Between June and September 2019, various aspects of current queer discourse will be deliberated under the banner Queer Commonalities – Queer Conflicts: queer resistance, queer culture, queer diversity, and queer establishment. Discussions will take place in English with participants from the US, Canada, Mexico, and Germany. For those unable to attend in person, recordings of the four panels will be made available on this website.