With "HOW TO / GATHER," this year we explore queer spaces as places of gathering where identities can unfold freely and develop in all their diversity. We are interested in relationships that exist beyond heteronormative and patriarchal structures: What do friendship, romantic love, and family mean outside these norms? What happens when queer communities are threatened, when access to queer spaces is limited, and when the free expression and development of one’s identity is not possible?
Until September 30, 2026, all individuals residing in Germany, the EU, or the United Kingdom who are at least 18 years old at the time of submission and identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community are invited to submit photographic works that engage with these questions.
For more information, please visit the competition page.
Please make sure to read our FAQs and Terms & Conditions carefully.
Gaze – der queere Photoaward wird unterstützt von
©Genesis Kahveci
News
10.08.26
We are extending the open call until September 30!
To give even more people the opportunity to submit their photographs, we are extending the open call until September 30, 2026. The shortlist for the Audience Choice Award is expected to be announced on October 16, 2026. Please use the Picter platform to submit your entries
27.07.26
We are sad, angry, and filled with emotions that are still hard to put into words.
Our thoughts are with our friends and fellow human beings who have lost a loved one, with those who were injured, and with those who are now dealing with trauma (once again).
We feel with all the people who are worried right now and whose hearts are heavy. Ours are, too.
We are angry about the exploitation of our grief, about politicians who have been eroding our rights for years and abusing our pain for their anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric.
We stand in solidarity with the people affected by anti-Muslim racism—especially those who are queer themselves.
We do not want to forget that, in addition to the attack in Tiergarten, other acts of violence against queer people took place this weekend—such as police violence at the Internationalist Queer Pride and the presence of Nazis on the fringes of the CSD. We hold every act of violence against queer people close to our hearts, for there are many of them.
We hope—for ourselves and for our community—that we do not forget the moments of queer joy, that we remain strong and courageous, that we have the strength to stick together, and that we can give ourselves the space and time to grieve and process our feelings.
No matter how you choose to process these events, your feelings and thoughts are valid.
09.07.26
Why we charge a €15 submission fee
We spent a long time weighing up whether or not to charge a submission fee. We view our ultimate decision to charge a fee as a necessary evil. Many open calls charge a submission fee. And yes, it’s a nuisance; it can create barriers and make an open call – which is supposed to be open to everyone—seem less open.
As you may know, the state of cultural funding is not good. Particularly in the area of LGBTQIA+ projects, there are hardly any financial resources left. Our funds are very limited. The income from the entry fees is an important financial resource for us to cover the costs of the competition. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to hold Gaze 2026—a project that received so much support and love in its first year would already have come to an end. We didn’t want to do that to ourselves or to you. We realise that €15 can be a lot. We also realise that passing this cost on to you isn’t the ideal solution. Nevertheless, we hope for your understanding and are open to suggestions on how we can handle entry fees in the coming years.
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