A youth art school in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district is offering a drag course for 13- to 17-year-olds. The course, supported by district budget funds, invites participants to “Discover your drag persona,” from lessons in makeup, dance, and lip-sync to developing stage characters, regardless of whether they identify as boys, girls, or otherwise.
The course is led by Noé Théry, a drag performer and graduate in gender studies, who emphasizes questioning gender roles “in a relaxed environment.” Théry’s social media posts, including images from drag shows, feature sexualized performances, raising concerns among some parents about the content minors may be exposed to.
Participation costs €45 per half-year, and the programme runs on Tuesday afternoons. A related course, ‘Drag Show,’ is offered for 18- to 26-year-olds immediately afterward.
The initiative comes amid a rise in children changing their gender in Berlin following the Self-Determination Act, which came into force in November 2024. The law allows anyone to change their gender through a simple declaration at the registry office, without medical reports or court involvement. Since its introduction, 2,407 individuals have changed or removed their gender registration, including 194 minors, some as young as four.
The districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Neukölln saw the highest numbers.
