BERLIN (AP) — A neon sign inside the Das Hoven cafe in a trendy Berlin neighborhood proudly proclaims “QUEER AND FRIENDS.”The sign was intended to show the cafe is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people. But it has also become a beacon for hate and homophobic attacks. Owner Danjel Zarte said there are 45 pending criminal investigations related to the cafe over the past year and a half, ranging from verbal and physical attacks on patrons and workers to windows being broken or covered in feces and Nazi graffiti. One person even stood outside the cafe with a gun.“An act of terror,” Zarte said. “I sometimes have panic attacks in the morning and am afraid to look at my cell phone because I’m afraid that something has happened again.”Attacks against LGBTQ+ people and gay-friendly establishments are rising across Germany, including in Berlin, a city that has historically embraced the community, members of which often use the word queer to describe themselves.
Last year saw a 40% increase in violence targeting LGBTQ+ people in 12 of Germany’s 16 federal states as compared to 2023, according to the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence. Activists say those figures only show a fraction of the problem’s scope because victims are often afraid to come forward. They partly blame the rise of the far-right across Europe, including in Germany where the Alternative for Germany party made significant gains in the February election.
