Pforzheim - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Pforzheim has no gay bars, clubs or saunas that can be confirmed as operating. Queer life in the city is organised mainly through one association: Spotlight Pforzheim e.V., the specialist centre for sexual health and self-determination on Goldschmiedeschulstraße. It grew out of the former local AIDS service organisation and serves people from Pforzheim, the Enzkreis district and the Calw district. Its counselling is free, confidential and can be anonymous.

Within Spotlight, the Queer Space project offers counselling and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people of all ages and for their families. A particular focus is support for trans people, from coming out to questions about transition, as well as help after discrimination or violence at school, at work or at home. There is also counselling for men who are gay, bisexual or pansexual, or who are attracted to other men. Queer Space runs groups for queer young people and offers workshops and talks for school classes and professionals.

Once a month Spotlight runs Checkpoint, an anonymous testing service for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, combined with counselling on safer sex. Appointments can be booked online.

Spotlight also organises Pforzheim's Pride, held on a Saturday in June with a demonstration from the Marktplatz, a stage programme and a Pride Week beforehand.

For a wider choice of venues and community groups, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart are the nearest larger cities. Both hold large Pride events, Karlsruhe on the first weekend of June and Stuttgart at the end of July.