Perverse und Gefährdete (PUGs, English: Perverse and Endangered) from around the world have celebrated difference as a form of life in Berlin for years. However, at the very latest since the German parliament approved marriage for all, a creeping normalisation of non-conformists has been closing in. Homos can become anything today, even the leaders of right-wing extremist parties. Of course, this longing for recognition from the »broad centre« to the right-wing edges will be disrupted by all those who never wanted to be normal.

The creation of maximum conspicuousness for lifestyles that don’t conform to the mainstream was once the goal of the initial pride protests, which began in 1969 on Christopher Street in New York. And that’s precisely the goal of our LGBTTIQ* festival PUGS IN LOVE: making perverse realities of life visible. »Perverse« derives from Latin and means, like »queer« which originally comes from Old High German: »twisted«, »turned about«, »odd«. And those whose are considered »odd« are still endangered. This festival presents artistic works about sex out of protest and desire as a social practice, about the in/visibilities of stigmatised bodies and surmounting queer colonialism.

The third edition of PUGS IN LOVE rings in the pride season in the middle of June and closes out the Studio  Я season as well.

Tobias Herzberg
Artistic Director Studio Я 
& Festival Curator PUGS IN LOVE

Programme overview

Festival Page