gay Berlin clubs bars sex from discodamaged

BRITS SAY NO TO TURING PARDON

Her majesty's government has rejected calls for computer pioneer Alan Turing, who is to be honoured at Berlin gay prisde, to be granted an official pardon for convictions for homosexuality dating back to the 1950s, the BBC reports.

BIG GAY BERLIN DATES 2012

They are pretty mean with holidays in Berlin - but then hardly anybody works so who cares? What big dates have we got this year? Something at Easter, then three holidays in May, one in October for reunification and then nothing until Christmas - there are more gay holidays than official holidays:

Big gay parties Berlin 2012
Easter Saturday 7th April Snax
at Berghain / lab.oratory http://www.snax-club.de/
+ BLF Leather & Fetish Week April 4th-10th http://www.blf.de/

16-17th June – Gay / Lesbian Street party
(Strassenfest / Stadtfest) in Schöneberg: http://www.regenbogenfonds.de/

23rd June – Berlin gay Pride / CSD
CSD = Christopher Street Day: http://www.csd-berlin.de/ 
 
Mid August - Gay lesbian bi Parkfest
in Volkspark Friedrichshain
http://www.parkfest-friedrichshain.de/ 
 
Early September - Folsom Europe
http://www.folsom-europe.info/
 
Late October - Hustlaball 
http://www.hustlaball.de/

Official Holidays
Fri Apr 6, Easter Friday / Karfreitag
Mon Apr 9, Easter Monday / Ostermontag
Tue May 1, Labour day / Tag der Arbeit / Maifeiertag
Thu May 17, Ascension / Christi Himmelfahrt
Mon May 28, Pentecost / Pfingstmontag
Wed Oct 3, Reunification day / Tag der Deutschen Einheit

GAY PRIDE REMEMBERS ALAN TURING

Berlin CSD (Gay pride) 2012 will honour Alan Turing the gay British mathematician, computer pioneer and code breaker who was busted for gross indecency in 1952 and committed suicide two years later. 2012's motto will be "Wissen schafft Akzeptanz" - 'Knowledge brings acceptance'.

Berlin CSD hits us 23 June 2012, Turing's 100^th anniversary, with the big street party the week before. Two years ago the British government gave a belated apology to Alan Turing. Read here on damaged.

More on the Alan Turing year at http://www.turingcentenary.eu/

ADS AND JACKI IN NOVEMBER

ADS November listings including gay club Cocktail D`Amour on Friday 4.11, Purge Thursday 10.11 and 8 years Ostfunk on Saturday 12.11.  Also includes Chez Jacki and Josef. Click the headline for details. All three are at An der Schillingbrücke / Stralauer Platz. Parties in the gay Berlin calendar.

SIX ARRESTED WHO PLANNED TO ATTACK SERBIA PRIDE

Serbia Pride was cancelled last week. The excuse? The authorities claimed it was in danger of being violently disrupted - sounded like another lame excuse at the time. Well, now they've gone and arrested six people they claim are right wing extremists who were planning to attack the event. Here's hoping Serbians can show their Pride soon without the threat of violence.

BERLIN GAY PRIDES 2011

Team damaged did both the gay prides in Berlin this year. We started at a tourist cafe in Wittenbergplatz where we could sit in comfort, drink beer (5€ for a large one, ouch), have lunch and finally see the wagons roll by. The parade, which 'started' at 12.30, about 500m up the road, arrived in Wittenbergplatz at 14.30. How many queens does it take to get a truck going?

After a few trucks had passed and the peachiest cheeks in the world had been snapped, we walked down Kleiststrasse overtaking the Gaga wagon and took the U-Bahn to Kreuzberg to join up with the Alternative Gay Pride / Transgenialer CSD. The street party was in full swing with real Berliners, bands and speeches from queer political activists. Perfect.

See it in pictures, including those peachy cheeks, on Facebook here.

BERLIN GAY PRIDE / CSD

CSD / Berlin gay pride and the alternative CSD are this Saturday. The first is sometimes criticised for being over commercial and they do have a Lady Gaga truck. If you want to avoid the pretentious glam and the tourists, go to the second. Click the headline for all the lowdown on the parade routes, the official party line up, the lesbian party, the pre-party, the zoo party and many more.

FAIRPLAY FOR DIVERSITY

Particularly apposite with CSD having the motto 'Fairplay for diversity'. England Rugby World Cup winner Ben Cohen speaks about his Stand Up Foundation. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the damaging long-term effects of bullying and stopping it wherever it occurs. The movement particularly focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Watch the hunk here. (Including short advert)

LADY GAGA TO HAVE CSD TRUCK

Next Saturday's Berlin CSD is privileged to have the only official Lady Gaga gay pride truck in the world. Sadly the lady herself cannot be present due to commitments in the USA. And you can get tickets on Facebook/Official Lady Gaga CSD Truck 2011 for a mere 50€ which includes all drinks, ticket to Propaganda, Born this Way single and more goodies.

The virtual Lady Gaga was brought here by Gay Partys Berlin who do gay club Propaganda, Gay Beach and more.

WALK WITH PRIDE

In 2010 US citizen Charles Meacham photographed CSD parades in 15 East European and Asian countries. 22 June from 18:30 an exhibition of his photos opens. It shows the brave people who stood up for their rights in spite of violent opposition. The exhibition is at ver.di-Bundeszentrale, Paula-Thiede-Ufer 10, 10179 Berlin-Friedrichshain. That's opposite Ostbahnhof U-Bahn. Flag raising 18:30, exhibition opening from 19:00. In association with LSVD.

KKI CSD PARTY 25 JUNE

There's a special Berlin gay pride / CSD party at Klub Kino International on 25 June with Rose Kennedy, Irrenhouse, Maarten Clark, Bürger P, Nina Queer, Annemarie Eilfeld, Magic Magnus, Stella Destroy and Inez Pinez. Doors open 23:00, advanced tickets 10€. Berlin's biggest gay club KKI is at Karl-Marx-Allee 33, Friedrichshain.

VIVANTES FORTE - CSD PARTY

"Vivantes Forte 10mg without risks or side-effects" (apart from a hangover) are having a CSD party 25 June from 10pm in Salz-Club. There'll be DJ Da Force, a cellar and an outdoor area. We're not sure if it's connected to the Vivantes Berlin medical outfit - there may be nurses to attend you. Salz-Club is at Salzufer 20, 10587 Berlin-Charlottenburg. Tickets 10€ or limited 5€ tickets click here. It's in your gay Berlin calendar.

PISS OFF CROATIA

The 300 people, who went on the gay pride in Split second largest city in Croatia, were severely outnumbered by the 8000-10000 anti-gay protesters who threw tomatoes, stones and more. Croatia is applying to join the EU and now the EU negotiators are telling them to piss off. That'll teach them.

Meanwhile at Warsaw gay pride there were counter demonstrations - but not so bad - and in Rome at Euro Pride 2011 it was all lovely.

PEACEFUL EASTERN PRIDES

Gay Prides in Bratislava, Slovakia and Bucharest, Rumania passed off peacefully last weekend. There was a massive police presence to protect them against right extremists, who were violent last year and a Catholic Slovakian bishop even said that they would support everybody including queers. Progress!

CSD OPENING PARTY @ TRESOR

The CSD opening party is at Tresor on Friday 24 June with three dance floors and eight DJs. Go to their website for guest list possibilities (http://tresorberlin.com/ then Club/Program). Click the headline here to see the line up.

STRASSENFEST, CSD, HOLIDAYS IN JUNE

June is the biggest month of the year for Gay Berlin. We've not only got the Strassenfest on 18 and 19 June and CSD / Berlin gay pride and the alternative Berlin gay pride on 25 June but also two public holidays: Himmelfahrt (ha ha, Ascension day) on Thursday June 2 and Pfingsten (Pentecost) on Monday June 13. So there's a host of extra parties and here's a few:
Wednesday June 1
Goya - Pink Himmelfahrt DJs Ades Zabel & Biggy van Blond + New terrace
Panorama Bar with DJs Koze, Dixon, Dinky and Dan Snaith
Kitkat - Fuc King Hell with techno legend DJ Hell and many more - even in the pool.
Thursday June 2 Midday-8pm
Berghain garden FREE - if the weather is OK with DJs Ryan Elliott, Ame and more
Sunday June 12
GMF - Pfingsten Special DJs Jean Philipps, Ades Zabel and more
KitKat - The Mystic Rose with DJs Cubixx, Naveen and Humanoid
Connection disco with darkroom
SchwuZ - bump meets klaro - three floors with DJs mikki_p, The Micha & more
Friday June 17
CSD meets Yma at Friedrichstadtpalast - Pricey - here
Saturday / Sunday June 18/19
The queer street party commonly known as the Strassenfest,
 
officially the Stadtfest (City party) takes place with 100's of gay stalls - including your own Discodamaged stand in Eisenacher Strasse (pic) - also in Motz Strasse, Kalkreuth Strasse, Fugger Strasse and more. Also includes street parties, interviews and plentiful food and drink.
Saturday June 18
Goya - Strassenfest Flirt Special - cheaper before 23:00
SO36 - Gayhane homo oriental and
Spy Club at Cookies hosted by Jailbait
Sunday June 19
Goya - Sex dance, dresscode, men only Djs Marcel dB, Kid Rox
GMF - Strassenfest special - DJs DBN, Wicked Bunny and more
Wednesday June 22
Gay Night at the Zoo - with animals, food big band and more
Friday June 24
AHA - Erotic party - CSD special
Goya - Sex dance your second chance , dresscode, men only
Quälgeist - SM-Night CSD-Welcome
Goya - Propaganda (not a sex dance)
Tresor - CSD Opening Party - Performance and DJs on three floors
Saturday June 25
12:30 – 16:30 CSD parade Kurfürstendamm, Nollendorfplatz, Siegessäule, Brandenburg Tor (Map)
Midday onwards Transgenialer CSD (aka alternative gay pride) OranienStrasse, parties and parade - route TBA (they are anarchists!)
17:00 – 23:00 Berlin gay pride / CSD Concert at Brandenburg Tor
21:00 Girltoxic - CSD Lesbian party at AMD
23:00 GMF CSD - Official Closing Party
23:00 KitKat - CSD-Party
23:00 SO36 - Transgenialer CSD party

We'll be repeating all that on Wednesday and again later in June with more details added as things become clearer - quite a few clubs have not published their June listings yet! Please promoters - tell Discodamaged what you are up to!

BERLIN GAY PRIDE / CSD 2011

We have the advanced program for Berlin CSD / gay pride on 25 June and can share it with you today. This year the theme is „Fairplay für Vielfalt“ - 'Fair play for Diversity', and it focuses on acceptance and promotion of sexual diversity in sport. Click the headline for more details on the parade route, the party line up, the lesbian party and the pre-party.

GAY NIGHT AT THE ZOO

Gay night at the zoo are getting ready for their party on Wednesday 22 June between the Strassenfest and CSD and they're already selling tickets. The party in the zoo will be opened our good gay Mayor Klaus Wowereit with Gerhard Hoffmann introducing a concert by Luci van Org, Kim Fisher, the 50-piece Big Band of the BVG and special guest Kay Ray. All that is followed by DJane Monique of SO36's Café Fatal plus of course food, lions, tigers and more. Click here for tickets from 19€.

BUDAPEST PRIDE REPRIEVED

A judge in Budapest has overturned the police's decision last week to ban Hungary pride 2011. So there is still hope ... Read more here.

NO PRIDE IN BUDAPEST

Organisers of Hungary's gay Pride tried to extend the route of the parade to take in the parliament building, whereupon the police banned the whole march. Sandor Steigler, head of the Rainbow Mission Foundation, reported that "The event was cancelled by the police chief after a series of proposals and counterproposals about the route." More on human rights first.