The Munich Löwen Club was founded 50 years ago. Its history shows how society’s approach to the queer scene has changed. At that time, homosexual acts were still forbidden and the purpose of the club was concealed.
Tolerance, says Manfred Stavenhagen, is a terrible word. It means to endure, to bear, possibly even with pain. And that would be going too far, because what was to be endured was him. As a human being, as a gay man, as a leather guy. The 80-year-old prefers to speak of acceptance and respect – and both, he says, have only grown in his lifetime. He himself has also contributed a lot to this.