Mini-Post: Its Global!

The hate is going global! The Associated Press reported that LGBTQ+ violence is growing in Germany!

How an LGBTQ cafe's neon sign became a beacon for hate in Berlin

There are 45 pending criminal investigations related to the cafe over the past year and a half, ranging from verbal and physical attacks to Nazi graffiti.

By  FANNY BRODERSEN and STEFANIE DAZIO

July 31, 2025

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.

The haters have learned that we are easy pickings.

Hostility toward LGBTQ+ people serves as a “rallying cry” for believers in right-wing extremism, according to Judith Porath, the association’s managing director. Experts have seen an increase in demonstrations and violence among neo-Nazis, most of whom are young men.

The right-wingers have noticed what is going on world wide and are capitalizing on the violence.