The ‘intersectional work and social club’ Biwoc* Rising, which proclaims on its website that ‘the space is open exclusively for BIWoC and TIN*BIPoC’, in Berlin, Germany, has received €662,450 in funding from the federal German government, according to reporting from The European Conservative.

As most likely any reasonable person is wondering, ‘BIWoC’ stands for ‘Black, Indigenous, and Women of Colour’, while ‘TIN*BIPoC’ stands for ‘Trans, Intersex, and Non-binary Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour’. In other words, white people and men are banned from the establishment.

The controversial club’s funding came from the German federal programme ‘Demokratie leben!’, whose official goal is to combat extremism, promote tolerance, and defend democracy. According to data cited by The European Conservative, the organization received €662,450 from this government fund between 2021 and 2024.

The story of the race and gender segregationist club was picked up by German newspapers, including Focus, and quickly escalated into a political scandal. Alice Weidel, co-chair of the right-wing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Party, took to social media to question how the German government could use taxpayer money to support this type of racial selection.

Other controversies have also emerged surrounding Biwoc* Rising. According to a report by Die Welt, the organization’s executive director, Loubna Messaoudi, posted a message on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks by the Islamist terror group Hamas on Israeli civilians that interpreted the tragic events as ‘resistance against colonization’. Actress Mihaela Dragan, a member of the organization’s advisory board, also made strongly anti-Israel statements.

In the wake of the scandal, Federal Minister of Education and Family Karin Prien of Germany, a member of the governing centre-right CDU Party, has announced a comprehensive review of the ‘Demokratie leben!’ programme. She stated that anyone receiving public funds must adhere to democratic principles and that there is no place for hatred or incitement.

Related articles: