Berlin Schwules (gay) Museum (#0828)

At the Schwules (gay) Museum in Berlin, a poster for an exhibit entitled “Fenster Zum Klo.” The direct translation of that would be ‘window to the toilet’, but ‘klo’ was codeword also for what in the U.S. we call ‘tearoom’, a restroom where men met for sex (typically anonymous). ‘Tearooming’ (‘cottaging’ in the UK) was common in the past when same-sex activity had to be discrete and there were few options for men to find sexual partners. With the various successes of gay liberation, the incidence of tearoom sex has reduced tremendously but still continues both for the adventure and because there remain men who for various reasons (e.g., religion, heterosexual marriage) are not able to be more open about their sexuality.

The exhibit was quite good, with pictures and props depicting the era and activity, and text descriptions from various men about their experiences in such.