The Rat&Tat Center for Queer Life eV has moved!
The advice center Rat&Tat-Zentrum für queeres Leben eV had been located in Theodor-Körner-Straße in Ostertor for over 35 years – now the center is being expanded and the advice will take place in new premises at Hollerallee 13.
The non-profit organization sees itself as an advocate for queer lifestyles and as a meeting place, advice center, and resource for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans*, and intersex people, as well as queer individuals and their families and friends. The full-time staff provides counseling on all questions related to sexual and gender orientation and identity, and on HIV and AIDS. There is also space for numerous self-help groups on various topics.
The counselling and empowerment services for BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), Café Kweer , and all group meetings continue to take place at Theodor-Körner-Straße 1. The administration and management have been located at Hollerallee since autumn 2021.
For us at the Bremen family network, this is an opportunity to ask Caro Schulze from the advice team at the Rat&Tat center:
Great, you've finally found new premises! What's the best thing about the new location on Hollerallee?
"We are delighted with the beautiful consultation rooms and, above all, with the extra space. Now all our colleagues finally have a permanent workspace. And the new consultation center is significantly more accessible. This means we can finally make our services more accessible for people with disabilities. It's also great that the location is near the train station and therefore quite easy to reach from other parts of the city."
Is there anything you miss?
"Yes, I definitely miss being under one roof with all the groups and being able to interact so naturally. It was also nice for the people who come to us for advice to be able to get to know the low-threshold services and Café Kweer right away. And of course, the neighborhood is also a wonderful place to work."
Have you already found a new favorite place to spend your break?
"The Bürgerpark is nearby. I'm looking forward to being able to spend my lunch break there in the spring. And I'd like to try out Café Concordia with my colleagues sometime."
What was already happening in the new premises?
"Last weekend, we hosted the empowerment workshop 'Mom, Dad, Child' with Eno Liedtke. The workshop was aimed at trans*, agender, and non-binary parents, as well as those who want to become parents. People with children or who want children shared their experiences and reflected on their hopes and concerns. The workshop also focused on developing stories and visions for the future together, while learning about resources and self-care techniques. Most participants particularly enjoyed meeting new people, exchanging ideas, and networking."
The "Rainbow Families Day" is taking place again in May. Last year you organized a conference on the topic of "Rainbow Families"; are you planning something similar this year?
"Yes, there will be a second Rainbow Families (Professional) Day! In cooperation with the Protestant Adult Education Center/Forum Church, everything on Saturday, July 2nd will revolve around the topic of 'Law'." (More about the event and registration)
"Under the title 'What motivates rainbow families?', workshops on various topics will take place that afternoon, including queer people/rainbow families and employment law, the changes in the coalition agreement, and agreements for rainbow couples on a private level, for example, regarding the legal situation after separation/divorce without stepchild adoption. The perspective of non-biological parents will also be addressed, as will the 'NoDoption' initiative. Queer youth aged 12 and up can meet in the chill-out area; childcare will be available for younger children. It's sure to be an exciting (summer) day!"
Caro Schulze has worked for many years in counseling at the Rat&Tat-Zentrum für queeres Leben eV. Together with her colleagues, she offers information and advice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and inter*sex and queer people as well as for their relatives and friends, interested parties and multipliers.