A few days before their comedy show at Den Atelier on 11th May, déi aner had the honour of interviewing the internationally acclaimed poet, comedian and actor Alok, who is currently on their Europe tour. Like many people before – and undoubtedly, after – us, we felt touched and inspired by Alok’s wisdom and humour, but above all by their profound humanity. What they shared with us were thoughts that were filled with political urgency as much as they were filled with poetry.

Luxembourg’s wealth and privileged position in Europe have allowed many, if not all, to secure well-paid positions in "community" or "political" work. The quotation marks are intentional—real community and political engagement can never be confined to a 9-to-5 job, as Arundhati Roy eloquently explains in her critique of the NGO-ization of resistance.

Learn about the history of witch hunts in Luxembourg and beyond, and join our FLINTA*-only march to Take Back the Night!

déi aner members reflect on the shortcomings of IWD in Luxembourg.

What intersectional feminism asks us is to acknowledge that we are not the same. There is a whole range of different struggles people go through. But these struggles are all inextricably, inevitably, viscerally interconnected – as are we as humans. 

It is through conversations of unwavering honesty and critical reflection that we allow ourselves to open up our current reality to imagine a better one. Pit has given us a glimpse of what it means to be an artist in Luxembourg, how creativity can be a gateway to imagine brighter worlds and what changes this country can start to make in order to accomodate artists and to generate a more welcoming, nourishing environment for them to thrive in.

It is our duty to understand the intricate implications of history and connect the dots. America is known as the land of opportunity—but when we take a closer look, these opportunities were seized from the land’s original inhabitants, taken from them by bloodthirsty colonists and given to white settlers like Nicholas Faber of Bauschleiden or Wilhelm Sinner and Pierre Pleschette of Grosbous. I end this article by calling on Luxembourgish-American institutions to reexamine their representation of history to include these hard truths and to make clear the effects of Luxembourgish settler colonialism on Native Americans.

At a time when alternative cultural spaces are diminishing and the appetite for real change is palpable within the creative community, it’s essential to reflect on the history of places like Kufa for inspiration. The story of Kufa is one of resilience, grassroots activism, and a refusal to conform to institutional expectations.

The recent launch of the autonomous platform, Megaphone, is dedicated to showcasing the potential of an alternative approach to activism including an intersectional blend of various movements such as queerfeminism, anti-racism, decolonialism, climate consciousness, anti-ableism, anti-fascism and anti-capitalism. This is why the collective of collectives has chosen to launch their own series of alternative pride events to provide a platform for those who feel marginalized within the mainstream official Pride events.

déi aner and queer.lu have queried members of the community about their experiences as queer individuals in Luxembourg. They spoke of their diverse experiences, both their joy and their worries of living in the Grand Duchy. While Luxembourg is renowned for its safety, it doesn't shield queer individuals in the Grand Duchy from discrimination. The following testimonials relate tales of hope, disillusionment, and the urgent need for change. In essence, they suggest there still is a long way to go for LGBTIQ+ individuals.

Luxembourg's 2024 Eurovision return is overshadowed by controversy over Israel's participation, with criticism of the European Broadcasting Union's political stance, and participants avoiding comments on Israel.

Gab and Dré both identify themselves within the bi-spectrum. What does that mean? It means that we are attracted to more than one gender. Even though we both identify as being queer, it is harder to assert this bi-identity in the outside world whether it is with queer people or within the heteronormative society

Kevin is a non-binary autistic Portuguese-Luxembourgish creative who has been on my radar for a while. Now, doing their masters in Philosophy. I stumbled upon their reels criticizing Luxembourg’s treatment of queer people and I felt right at home. I automatically clicked follow (not the most common action after looking at some people’s profiles…).

By now, you are likely to have observed big corporations swapping their traditional logos for a rainbow flag or a pride-themed background since the beginning of the month of June. This happens every year, special “pride” collections are put on the market, and at first glance, consumers think they are being great allies whilst brands keep a politically correct facade.

only frequented the Batiment 4 for a handful of moments but I know that when I entered it for the first time and was aware that this place is real, I had a huge sense of relief. Finally! Finally, there is a place for alternative culture. There is a space where we can develop and redefine subcultures. Finally, a place centered on redefining community and creativity for our generation. It was the only place in the whole country where this kind of space was created for us to thrive and evolve.

Luxembourg made history when its current head of state, Xavier Bettel, became the first openly gay prime minister in the world to be reelected for a second term in 2018. Nevertheless, Luxembourg’s queer history is rather hard to tell, with very little evidence of documented LGBTQIA+ events.