Or: The Moral Gatekeepers of Ottensen
»I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it«
Evelyn Beatrice Hall, often misattributed to Voltaire
Club Volantaire on May 29, 2026 in Hamburg Temporarily Without a Venue
On May 29, 2026, the left-liberal debate forum “Club Volantaire” is scheduled to take place for the third time — this time in Hamburg. The event will focus on the impact that queer-political influences have had on feminism. How did the women’s movement arrive at its current state? What consequences have these developments produced? And what exactly is happening when many people can no longer define what a woman is? These are important and necessary questions if ideological rigidity and dogmatism are not to prevail. Club Volantaire approaches such issues with the same critical spirit it previously brought to related discussions in Frankfurt and Munich.
For the moment, however, we — the organizers — and our guests are without a venue. The operator of the location in Ottensen where the event was originally planned no longer feels able to host it. We do not wish to go into unnecessary detail. It is not our place to publicly disclose the pressures weighing on the venue operator, nor do we wish to draw him further into the controversy. Suffice it to say: he faces potential economic repercussions should the event go ahead. The venue exists within a milieu broadly sympathetic to queer-political orthodoxies, and the familiar patterns of social pressure have taken effect accordingly.
We want to make one thing absolutely clear: the venue operator deserves no blame. Regardless of one’s political or intellectual position, the decision is understandable. We are well aware of the reflexive hostility of sections of the contemporary neo-left and of their sectarian unwillingness to tolerate dissenting perspectives — even when those perspectives come from feminists or from critics within the political left itself who object to regressive modes of thinking and authoritarian practices. That is precisely why Club Volantaire exists: as a forum for discussing problems within left-wing politics that can no longer be openly debated within an increasingly narrow culture of acceptable opinion (see https://club-volantaire.de/ueber/). This incident only reinforces the necessity of such a forum.
What makes this display of intolerance particularly tragic is that it targets an event dedicated to understanding both the current condition of the women’s movement and the broader dynamics of social polarization in Germany. Three women and one trans person were scheduled to speak: a women’s rights advocate and recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit; a university professor presenting nothing more than the current scientific consensus; a biologist likewise defending evidence-based positions who was publicly vilified before a mass audience on German national television; and a trans man warning about the dangers that ideologically driven queer politics may pose to trans rights themselves.
The self-appointed woke moral guardians do not want these voices to be heard. Fair enough, one might say: then simply don’t attend the event. But that is not enough for them. They consider the views of these four individuals — views arrived at through intellectual engagement, professional expertise, and personal conviction — to be so morally unacceptable that others should not even be allowed to hear them. Their own often inconsistent beliefs, shaped online under the influence of activists and ideological commentators, appear to require constant protection from scrutiny and disagreement. That is how sectarian cultures operate. And for this purpose, dissenting feminists are demonized as though they were figures of the far right.
We are committed opponents of the pseudo-progressive neo-left, yet we would never attempt to shut down their events, regardless of where they are held. Such behavior reflects an authoritarian mentality fundamentally incompatible with democratic culture. Likewise, targeting individuals rather than engaging with their arguments reflects a politics of intimidation and mob pressure. This problem must be openly named and challenged through public debate — not least because it has placed large parts of the political left in an untenable position. Particularly in the debates surrounding biological sex since 2022, sections of the left have demonstrated an alarming susceptibility to ideological irrationality. This development requires serious critical examination, including the continuing failure of large parts of the media to confront it honestly.
For May 29, 2026, we are therefore searching for a new and suitable venue in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg where the event can take place. Suggestions and contacts are very welcome. We remain cautiously optimistic that a solution will be found. And if not, we will find other ways to hold the event.
Malte Clausen, Judith Faessler & Regina Schliephake
On behalf of Club Volantaire
16th May 2026