What is FLINTA*?

FLINTA* is an acronym encompassing Females, Lesbians, Intersex, Trans* & Agender people. 

What is the issue?

My name is Gali Jaffe, I am an archaeologist, a tour guide in the museums of Museum Island and a Trans Woman. With that said, being a part of the FLINTA* community myself, I am acutely aware of the challenges that parts of the FLINTA* community face in doing the simple task of entering a public restroom, as I have faced, and still face these challenges.

These situations usually lead to FLINTA* people feeling apprehensive about entering and using public restrooms from fear of being ridiculed, judged or worse, attacked. I, as a trans woman and tour guide working in these museums, cannot carry on without trying to rectify this situation. That is why this petition is launched.

The museums on Museum Island in Berlin display among their various halls some of the most important and beautiful finds from human history, including finds that show the diversity of the human experience and the existence of people from all walks of life, including FLINTA* people. With that in mind, it makes no sense that the same kind of recognition will be visible in the museums themselves and not only in the displays of the ancient artifacts. 

To that end, all we will be asking from the management of the Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin is that they designate one of the restrooms in each museum on Museum Island as a FLINTA* restroom, a change that would go a long way not only in making the task of going to the restroom for many FLINTA* people a lot easier, it will also serve as a strong statement of inclusivity from the museums of Museum Island, museums which are located in the heart of Berlin, one of the most open, accepting and Queer cities in Europe. 

These changes can already be found today in various places, one example is the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hambung, and here in Berlin, both in the Uber Arena and the Uber Eats Music Hall one can find Women's restrooms, Men's restrooms and All Gender Restrooms.

All of these are valid and smart solutions which allow a safe space for all FLINTA* people and are relevant to the changes our society is going through, with the growing visibility of FLINTA* people and their daily presence in every walk of life.

"We gotta do much more than believe if we really wanna change things..." (Dave Matthews Band).