Nachtzeit im München

While exploring Munich with my closest friends, I was impressed by the display of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ pride movement, and the visibility of pride flags throughout the city. Rainbow flags decorated the halls of government, and flags representing all genders and sexualities were scattered around the city. However, as the trip progressed, I realized that this solidarity was performative.

Me and my friends dedicated a large amount of time to the scholarly portion of the trip; but we also took our time to have fun in the third largest city of Germany. There were countless bars, restaurants, parks, and festivals to attend, and we made the most of our time. I was even able to find a date in Munich, and it progressed pretty smoothly. But through these experiences, I also found a darker side to Munich. I can remember the feeling of walking through the metro late at night, surrounded by friends, yet still on alert for potential danger.

 

Like any big city, Munich can be unsafe at night. But the level of danger was unexpected: for example, as I walked through the metro with my date, I remember being harassed by a drunk German partygoer. Me and my date had been holding hands, and we were both male: this seemed to offend him and he yelled at us. We were able to defend ourselves of course, and my date promptly shut him down. But I was not the only person on the trip who felt the double sides of Munich, and witnessed the performative nature of ally-ship in the city.


                                                                          Munich train station, at sundown.

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