In these times of genocide, imperialism, and exploitation, it is our responsibility to recognize this manipulation and disengage from Western media accordingly. We must filter the narratives we are fed through a decolonial lens in order to separate fact from propaganda. Most importantly, we need to listen to and read the voices of those directly affected. Indigenous voices must come first, and we must create space for them to be heard.

To support this, we have compiled a short list of resources that can help challenge the biases of Western media.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza and has targeted local reporters, according to the Gaza government’s media office, which reports that 237 journalists have been killed during the genocide. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented at least 186 journalist deaths in Gaza. Israel denies intentionally targeting journalists. The number of journalists killed in Gaza now exceeds the combined toll of journalist deaths in the U.S. Civil War, both World Wars, and the wars in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Ukraine.

Multidisciplinary artist Zohra Mrad creates immersive experiences through interactive and generative visual art, installations and performances. Having worked with institutions such as Rotondes and Casino Luxembourg, Zohra’s DIY, experimental and collaborative approach to creativity brings a fresh wind into the Luxembourgish art scene, which is still oftentimes dominated by individualism and marketability. Zohra highlights the need for artistic solidarity over competition; space for experimentation over ready-to-sell ‘finished’ art; and free access to culture over financial exclusion. 

We were engaged in apartheid by hosting our website on Wix– time for a reckoning! We made a swift switch to Squarespace as soon as we noticed to re-align ourselves with BDS principles. Wix, like Google, McDonald’s, and AXA, is complicit in genocide by providing Israel with services, technology and/or funding. Join us in making the switch away from the neoliberal economy and reinvest in your principles! Find ways to make everyday consumer behavior less harmful with some easy tools.

Trade unions have achieved significant advancements for workers, including the establishment of the eight-hour workday, minimum wage laws, and improved workplace safety regulations. They have also played a crucial role in securing paid time off, anti-discrimination laws, and protections against unfair dismissal. Furthermore, unions have been instrumental in advocating for social security, unemployment insurance, and the recognition of Labor Day.

If, like me, you got the traditional Luxembourgish sex ed treatment, you learned a whole lot about the way sperm cells are produced but not so much about consent and pleasure. You also learned nothing about the social and political context which we live in, and how it impacts our sexuality and relationships.

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.

The day before Halloween I saw Christmas decorations being hung on trees in Pescatore. It's not very classy of me to start a gossip column with a rant about how we're putting up Christmas decorations earlier and earlier every year, but I'm not known for being classy, so I don't care. 

It’s still more classy than Xavier Bettel spending his vacay in Is(not)rael every other week (or at least three times in the last 12 months).

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.

Queer feminist spaces in Luxembourg are rare—not because we don't exist, but because the places where we can feel at home are so limited that they practically don't exist. One of the few places in the country where you can feel abnormally normal is Dunia Ciuferri’s feminist queer tattoo space located between the former social security headquarters and the Bouillon parking lot in the capital. This space is now celebrating its one-year anniversary.

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