Imagine you go to school in Baden-Württemberg. Would you expect to come to class one day and be taught about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans* people by a drag queen? Betty BBQ has done just that. We spoke to her and the teacher Daniel Hey.
Betty, you gave sex education lessons at a secondary school in Baden-Württemberg. How did that come about?
(Betty BBQ) Quite simply, I was asked to do it. The teacher Daniel Hey approached me and asked me. And in the end, he convinced me.
So you didn't really want to. Why not? What expectations did you have?
(Betty) We all know that we don't talk much about "otherness" at school. And some role models for young people demonise "otherness" or are directly homophobic, as is often the case in hip hop. That's why I honestly didn't have many expectations and was also a bit scared.
Daniel, why did you want Betty to come to school in her knickers?
(Daniel Hey) Two aspects were important to me: firstly, I wanted to give the students a glimpse into a world that they had never experienced before. On the other hand, Betty acts as a "queer" specialist who can explain to the young people everything they didn't know about LGBT and queer issues.
How did it go?
(Betty) Very good, I found a very interested class and my concerns were quickly dispelled.
What did you do specifically?
(Betty) I talked about my activities as a drag queen and about my voluntary work at GenTLe Manthe prevention project of Aids-Hilfe Baden-Württemberg. Afterwards, I answered the young people's questions.
What questions did they ask you?
(Betty) As already mentioned, I was hardly expecting anything good. However, I was surprised by clever and honestly interested questions. There were questions about queer issues, directly about homophobia or the standard question about how long it takes me to apply make-up (laughs). And the best thing: there wasn't a single question below the belt.
How did you feel about the lesson, Daniel?
(Daniel) I thought it was great too. I'm convinced that a lack of tolerance is based on fear of the unknown. With Betty's visit, I wanted the young people to have contact with someone in a safe environment that they wouldn't otherwise experience. As an "ambassador for tolerance", Betty has helped to bring other ways of life out of the "freak corner".
What did the college or the headmaster actually say about Betty's visit?
(Daniel) Most of the teaching staff liked the idea and were interested in the teaching project. I can very well imagine that some teachers are also interested in Betty's visits and can only warmly recommend them. My school is lucky to have a very open-minded headteacher who gave me the freedom I needed for the visit. On the other hand, there are always critical voices, which is justified, as developments that are acceptable to all sides can only take place in a joint dialogue.
The debate about the education plan in Baden-Württemberg made waves throughout Germany. Was the education plan a topic in your lesson?
(Betty) The lesson was more or less an educational plan, as it should ideally be (laughs). But as such, it wasn't an issue.
Your view Daniel: Is the reform of the education plan a big issue at your school?
(Daniel) That was it, yes. Colleagues were shocked by the petition that wanted to ban sexual diversity from the new education plan. They referred to the counter-petition by email and on the notice board, thus showing their support for the state government's plan. In the days that followed, this led to controversial discussions in the staff room, which I consider to be beneficial.
Basically: Do you have the feeling that you are more homophobic in Baden-Württemberg than elsewhere?
(Betty) I don't want to say that, but I do believe that more rural regions have bigger problems. Even my home town, the Black Forest metropolis of Freiburg, still has a lot of catching up to do. That's why it's important to go to schools. I've already achieved something if people don't rant about gays or other minorities at the dinner table in the evening, but instead seriously discuss tolerance.
Saturday 17 May is International Day against Homophobia. What about you? Have you been discriminated against?
(Of course! As Drag Queen I'm practically on the front line. If I'm approached directly or mobbed, I can handle it with the quick-wittedness of a drag queen. Fortunately, I've been spared any physical attacks so far.
But incidents like this give me the strength to carry on. I have the advantage that all of this is flushed down the drain after a long day in the shower with the fictional character Betty BBQ. Not everyone can do that and these gays and lesbians, bisexuals and trans* people need our solidarity and support in the fight for equality and acceptance.
Here you can find an overview of the cities in which there will be campaigns against homophobia on 17 May: http://de.rainbowflash.info/
