"We go for maximum comfort", I wrote in the Portable Party Notebook and held it up while dancing naked at a private party of the left local Berlin politics scene.
Dear Guests and Co-Hosts of __Die Neue Leichtigkeit,
Last week, Pavao, Mehrdad, and I left my own Party to go to a private party at About Blanc that my neighbour invited us to. What we did was carry over the energy and plant our queer joyful seeds into what turned out to be a gathering of the left Berlin local politics scene. Since then, I filled an entire Party Notebook. How? Because I decided to never leave The Party again.
People took note of our appearance on the floor and smiled. We were dancing, they were talking, they were dressed, Pavao and I went naked. I liked the idea of playing with this visibility, so I wrote on the first page of the Portable Party Notebook: __we go for maximum comfort. I held it up while dancing, and my neighbour laughed and said: your comfort is an entirely different comfort than what we think of as comfort. I said: yes, it is actual comfort, and we are choosing it.
Planting my politics everywhere
There is a plan to infiltrate further spaces with our unbelievable and irresistible vibes. I am currently aiming for the Bundestag, where I want to become __the 5th Stenographer who writes what is happening between the lines. The idea was inspired by my boyfriend Eftimios' unique enthusiasm for Realpolitik. Yesterday, he motivated me to participate in the Berlin re-elections by reminding me that democracy is actually one of the better inventions of humanity. He said: "Back in the days, I got an entire After to come vote with me. None of us had slept the night before." That's commitment. So I went to vote for Die Grünen in the city parliament and for Die Partei in my local district - omg you should check out Die Partei, they are hilarious.
Alas, the CDU won, which shows that clearly, __democracy can do with some Love and Life. The Bundestag should hire me (but only if they will let Pavao sign for me, see __Signing Interventions below).
__Not so fun facts: I Iearned from my neighbour that the current head of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, laughed back in 1983 when the Bundestag discussed whether rape in marriage should become illegal. It would take until 1997 until the law was finally passed (but Merz voted against), as nicely explained in German in the SPD promotion video below. So Merz has been going for a while, and still has a lot to learn. Only two years ago he said some weird stuff when asked what he would think about having a gay Bundeskanzler, letting us know that in his head, being gay is linked with lawlessness and pedophilia.
__Fun fact: When I went to vote, the lady who checked my passport apologised for referring to me as "he" before. I told her she was right, but that I'm waiting with having my passport changed until the new trans rights law is being passed in Parliament. If all goes well, it should soon be possible to get a sex change just by walking into the Bürgeramt (if you manage to get an appointment). I have no time, money, or motivation for the current procedure, which involves having two psychiatrists declare that you are sick, faking a trans CV because it needs to follow the Typical Trans Narrative ("I was traumatised because my brothers refused to explain to me how to repair cars because I was a girl" - this is actually true), defending it in court, and paying thousands of Euros.
Dispatches from The After
Signing Interventions
Pavao and I started playing a game where I get him to sign everything I write and other things. Over the course of last week, this Signing Game has been gaining momentum. Probably because it's fun to imagine that everything is yours (and potentially everyone else's). If you ask me, ownership is so 2022.
Meanwhile, several Guests signed that note __we go for maximum comfort as well as further statements in the Party Notebook that apparently resonated. At the latest After (after we infiltrated Revolver at KitKat with __the new queer Queerbump dancefloor - it felt like a house party at the club), I proceeded to ask Guests to sign my Body, which they all did. My Body will be available for further signing asap.
First Party Guestbook filled
The first Party Guestbook, which we started during the After of Ahmad's Birthday Party on 2 October 2022, was filled up to the last page on 4 February 2023. It fills me with joy and at some point I started taking it with me wherever I go #iamtheparty. Even my mum wrote in it when I went to visit her recently. She also glued a picture of a crow in it in reference to the name of my place, __The Crow's Nest (story for another time).
I'm realising that I need to figure out with Guests how to make best use of the Party Guestbook, which I want to convert into __a communal Party Notebook. I love it if you tell me that you are having a great time (if not, I hope I hear it too), but what would be interesting is if you would tell me something I don't know yet that you would like me to know. I am only one Body at The Party, I want us to know what you perceive and experience too. #howcanwebenefitfromeachother
Reading & Review of Partyfiesto @Ficken3000
On Thursday, Nano and Jebreel each read __Partyfiesto out loud in the Ficken3000 darkroom. I was impressed and casually asked Jebreel to write a review, which impressed me too. It turns out he double majored in psychology and linguistics, and I think he should be able to do something more interesting with his time than working in a boring market research job. #universalbasicincome
__"The Partyfiesto is a vital reminder to bring authenticity, presence and care to our social circles. Together, we build a community, even if only for a moment in time, and for that community to thrive, each and every participant must give more than they take. We are enjoined to suspend our individualism, materialism, and expectations to appreciate wholeheartedly the here and now — and to use our energy, creativity, and love to build die neue Leichtigkeit."
♥ ♥ ♥ Thanks Jebreel, you are the best ♥ ♥ ♥
Hallelujah, and now go shine your light wherever you go!
__See you at The Party xxx