Glossary

Black people or People of Color (BPcC) is a self-designated term, used from people who have experienced racism in Germany but do not necessarily have a migration history, such as Sinti or many Black Germans.

Queer is an English word and was originally used as an insult against homosexual people. As an act of self-empowerment, the term queer is used by the community itself to appropriate and positively connote it. Today, queer is often used as a generic term for LGBTIQ*. This combination of letters stands for: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer. However, there are also people who do not find themselves in the norm of heterosexuality or in the thinking of two genders (woman/man) and who question them. We use this combination of letters to be as inclusive as possible and are also aware that there are other variations.

Empowerment refers to processes aimed at individual and collective self-empowerment of people who have experienced racism and other forms of discrimination. Such processes can be, for example, the struggle for political rights, the expansion of scope for action, the awareness of one’s own abilities and the experience of solidarity. Empowerment was first introduced during the civil rights movement in the United States and the political struggles of marginalized groups.

Queer people may experience discrimination not only because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but also because of other affiliations (e.g., appearance, origin, religion, age, impairments, etc.). These do not simply add up, but rather create a new, specific form of discrimination.