#actout

Hi there, I'm working on a video essay about actout (a collective of 185 German actors and performers who came out as queer as a unit in early 2021). I'd love to include statistics on general reach and reactions to such an initiative online, so I've set up a survey:

Congratulations to Vladimir Burlakov who celebrated his professional coming out along with 185 other German LTBG+ performers.

Burlakov was born in Moscow and moved to Germany in 1996. Ten years later he was studying at Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts. After graduating he began accepting guest and recurring roles on German TV.

Burlakov had been open about his sexuality with family and close friends, but not within the film industry. He became aware that he was subconsciously hiding being gay with producers and casting agents. He asked himself if maybe that’s why he didn’t get certain roles.

“I couldn’t be myself – and that’s why I had to break free.”

He decided to participate in Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazine’s 2021 declaration by 185 German LGBT+ performers to demand more recognition and diversity in theatre, film and television.

Vladimir isn’t afraid of negative consequences:

“I don’t worry. I’m still the same person and actor as yesterday and last week and two weeks ago and I believe that the people who believing in my talent will continue to cast me as an actor and not who I go to bed with.”

Burlakov celebrated his coming out shortly afterward by walking the red carpet with his partner Martin at the “GQ Men of the Year” gala in Berlin.

“It was not as exciting as I thought, because it was normal for me to have a nice evening with my partner,

Burlakov can be seen by audiences in the US in the Netflix series “Kleo” where he plays a very straight handler of German Stassi assassins.

I work at a theatre. (Behind the scenes, not as an actor, but still) Right now, I have a front row seat watching the german theater, music and art scene die.

Yes, Germany has more than 185 actors. (And more than 185 of them are Queer). And right now, they are desperate.

The lucky ones are employed at city or state funded theatres, same goes for stage technicians or musicians in orchestras. We will probably survive, because we get 'Kurzarbeit'. (Thought we do have to fight even in normal years to get funding, so I wouldn't be suprised if some cities use this as an excuse to close their theatres for good)

The unlucky ones are self-employed and work contract-to-contract. Contracts that do not exist right now. Same goes for musicians, roadies, stage technicians,...

You can apply for 'Coronahilfen' for running costs like rent for office space or paying wages. Running costs that these people do not have. An actors running costs are the food they eat and the rent for the space they live in. (EDIT: seems like the newest 'Überbrückungshilfe III' is also available for 'Soloselbstständige'. Small progress I guess)

There are businesses like clubs or indipendant theatres that do qualify for 'Coronahilfen', but often they get too little, too late.

So, how can you help?

1)Please, please, when this is all over, go to your local theatre, go see a live band, visit a museum exhibition,...

  1a) Buy tickets for shows now (even if they might be rescheduled) or gift vouchers for theatres/clubs/etc.

   1b) If you think that theatre is boring and old fashioned, try a different one or even just a different play (often plays that are not 'Deutschunterichtlektüre' are more diverse and creative, because we don't need to pander to german teachers)

Same goes for indipendant theatres, they are often more experimental and modern than city theatres.

2) Interact with us! We love feedback! In my theatre, there is a pin board where all e-mails etc. that reach us are hung up. Tell us when you liked/disliked a play! (And why) Tell us when there was an aspect you want to see more often!

In general, we want to make art that is well recieved and liked by the public. So we need feedback to adjust our repertoire. (Just don't expect imidiate change, in general the schedule is planed a year in advance.)

3) Check out #AlarmstufeRot (mostly on twitter) and alarmstuferot(.)org

It is an alliance of people and companies in the event industry that try to get the governement to listen to their struggles right now.

4) Many theatres have uploaded online content, maybe check your local theatres website.

5) Indipendant theatres and other culture centeres are sometimes organised as a 'Verein'. Check out wether there are any around you and become a member.

185 Queer actors in Germany came out together!

There aren’t many English articles but here is one I found. Below is their official manifesto, originally in German, it can be toggled to several languages:

Thinking about the fact that 185 (!!!) German actors and actresses collectively came out as gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, queer, or nonbinary in one of the biggest newspapers. What a f*cking power move, holy shit.

Also thinking about the fact that some of them are in their 70s and haven’t spoken publicly about their sexuality until now. Can you imagine what that must feel like? To keep your sexuality a secret for 20, 40, maybe 50 years, and now, finally, feel like you can walk a red carpet with your same-sex partner?

And thinking specifically about the importance of Mark Waschke coming out.

Why him? Two reasons.

1)     He is in the most popular German cop-show (Tatort) and played Noah in DARK, and is therefore one of the most high-profile actors to sign the manifest.

2)     He is married to a woman.

His situation is different to that of many of the others, who felt like they had to hide their partners to be perceived as “straight” or “desirable to the opposite sex” (this was mostly a concern for young actresses, which, yikes). But he didn’t “have to” come out, like, he can talk about his partner without outing himself, he seems straight to an unknowing audience, and still, STILL, he chose to come out, because this is not about relationships dammit, this is about identity. And I think that’s super important, for an established, “straight-passing” (yikes) actor to come out and say he is part of this community, and basically show that LGBTQ+ people have been on our screens for ages and we didn’t know and it doesn’t matter and, like they say in the article “we are already here”.

#actout

“We are already here”

This week 185 German actors came out as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, queer.

Instagram: @actout_manifest

Also check out the website, where you can download their manifesto in more than 15 languages: http://act-out.org/

“Wir sind schon da” - 185 lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, non binary and trans actors in Germany share a coming out day in Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin this month ❤️🌈

#actout