Ever since LoveBox dropped out on us their LGBT day, we’ve been looking for a new Queer lineup – step forward Berlin’s Yo! Sissy. Started by two of the stars of the Berlin nightlife, Scout and Pansy, the weekend describes itself as ‘an eclectic showcase of the very best in quality, alternative queer artists, live bands and performers.’ We speak to Scout & Pansy about the event…
How did you come up with the name?
YO! SISSY is the combination of our individual party names. Pansy threw a party called SISSY, where only Hip-Hop and R&B produced by female-identified artists was played and Scout produces a karaoke dance party called Cherr-YO!-kie. We wanted to blend our two ideas of a good party into one huge event!
Why Berlin instead of New York, San Francisco or London?
Because Berlin is the best city in the world! Scout has been in Berlin for over fifteen years and Pansy for just under five. Berlin is home, we love it, and we want to share a very special scene with a lot of people.
Who was your dream line up when you were setting up a mood board?
This is impossible to answer, because so far we have been very lucky in getting our dream line-ups each year. We were inspired by the dynamic underground music scene that is growing in Berlin and feel honoured to produce shows with such amazing artists.
What’s the theme of this year’s festival?
Our tagline is ‘dance together’. Our goal with YO! SISSY is to bring together individuals from all walks of life to dance together in Berlin alongside some of the finest queer performers of our generation. We think the most important part of YO! SISSY is not just the awesome musical acts we have put together, but the people that come and show their love from all over the world. Drop that pretence at the door because our dancefloors are packed with cuties dancing with arms open, eyes wide, and shining smiles. There are no borders on the dancefloor. Music is the universal language that breaks all barriers. Let’s dance together!
Can you tell us a bit about this year’s performers?
Man, there are so many diverse and exciting artists lined up for this year’s festival. Mykki Blanco’s performance is going to be major, especially as its right before his new album comes out and he will hopefully be dropping some new tunes on us. We are really excited to see Zhala and Ballet School perform as its going to be a first for us. Christeene is simply out of control and not to be missed. We’re bringing back Hi-Fashion because they were simply amazing last year and need to be seen again. Le1f and Karin Park are also going to be really electric on Saturday night as well. The goal of YO! SISSY is to bring together a range of artists that showcases the breadth and diversity of queer performance, specifically focusing on trans and female-identified performers.
Do you work with any LGBT charities?
Because we received public funding, we have specific rules we have to follow in terms of charitable donations. We will be collecting money at the festival for specific charities, but have not made the final decision as to which ones at this time.
Will the recent events in Florida have any effect on Yo Sissy?
Naturally, like the rest of our community we are devastated and have taken the last few days to fully process what has happened. We are holding our queer families close and thanking them for being in our lives. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and refuse to allow a homophobic act to turn into an islamophobia fear-based campaign. YO! SISSY will continue to sparkle. The club is our safe haven. The club is our space to create, to dance, to love, to fuck, to make friends, to smile, to laugh, to kiss and hug, and most of all to be free. To be ourselves. To be us. Together. They will never break us. We know that this can happen anywhere and at any time, but also believe in the power of Berlin’s community and will be taking the appropriate steps to insure everyone at the festival is safe and taken care of.
