19 September 2026
18 h

Queer Bar | mit Probst Steffen Paar

Fall is in the air, the QUEER BAR season is drawing to a close, and we invite you to join us for the final QUEER BAR of the year in the garden of the Arthur Boskamp Foundation. On Saturday, September 19, starting at 6 p.m., Provost Steffen Paar will be our guest at the QUEER BAR. In a moderated discussion, the provost will share his thoughts and personal stories on the complex relationship between the church and queerness. Afterward, there will be plenty of time for questions and informal conversation. As always, there will be drinks, music, and the chance to strike up a conversation with your tablemates.

The man in the long robe

only works on Sundays, right?

gets paid to eat cake

suffers for and with the church

and loves his calling just as much

Steffen Paar

Steffen Paar has served as provost of the Rantzau-Münsterdorf church district since 2023 and is openly gay. In his role as a Protestant church representative, he supports local campaigns and initiatives that advocate for the rights of queer people. For example, he served as patron of the first CSD in the Steinburg district, which took place in Itzehoe in 2023 under the slogan #queerdurchskaff and has since been held in different towns throughout the district. However, Paar’s passionate advocacy for diversity and human dignity has earned him not only recognition but also repeated hostility. At QUEER BAR, we want to engage in conversation with him!

The conversation with Provost Steffen Paar at the QUEER BAR counter invites us to talk about faith, community, and queerness. The discussion focuses on the challenges queer people face in the church, moments that give us the energy to stand up for our own convictions, and how to deal with contradictions.

Paar writes about himself:
I was born on the edge of the northern Black Forest and grew up between Black Forest cake and the beautiful Schlehen- & Heckengäu region. My career as a Protestant pastor took me from Württemberg through Hesse to Schleswig-Holstein. (...) I stand for a church that respects human dignity and does not discriminate against anyone, that supports people and does not judge them based on prejudice or outward appearances.

The QUEER BAR was launched in 2021 as a project by artist Paul Niedermayer and Agnieszka Roguski, the former artistic director of M.1. Since then, it has grown, evolved, and, above all, become an integral part of queer life in the region.

Everyone is welcome. The bar opens at 6:00 p.m. in the garden of M.1, entrance on Finnische Allee, 25551 Hohenlockstedt. Admission is free and the venue is wheelchair accessible.

Die Queer Bar 2026 wird gefördert durch die Änderwerk gGmbH im Programm Vor Ort Vereint.