Bill Kaulitz reports on anti-queer assaults during his youth

Bill Kaulitz has been based in the USA, specifically in Los Angeles, for many years. He attributes the fact that he can speak openly about his experiences today to a changed way of dealing with them. "Für mich war das sehr heilend," said Bill. "Ich kann heute mit meinen Haaren und meinen 'Penisschuhen' hier sitzen, weil ich weiß, dass ich mich wehren kann." He now has a different self-confidence that helps him place the pain of that time in context.

Processing and healing

His brother Tom also spoke in the joint conversation. "Ich mag nicht gerne so einen Groll mit mir rumtragen," said Tom Kaulitz, who is married to the television host Heidi Klum. Both are not resentful people. According to Bill Kaulitz's own account, the assaults still hurt him to this day – he also acknowledged that he has meanwhile even forgotten parts of the incidents: "Vielleicht sogar zu vergessen."

According to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the occasion for the interviews is the release of the third season of the series "Kaulitz & Kaulitz". In the show, the twins talk about their lives, their careers, and personal experiences. The new season is being released in Germany in the coming days.

Reactions and solidarity

Hardly any other German pop star has lived his queer identity as publicly as Bill Kaulitz. Since Tokio Hotel's breakthrough in 2005, he has repeatedly been the target of hate and mockery. He regards now naming the assaults from his youth as an act of self-empowerment. At the same time, he knows that this is not the lived reality of many other those affected, he said.

The reports about the assaults have triggered a wave of solidarity on social media. Numerous fans, as well as representatives from the queer community and the music industry, expressed their support. The counseling center for queer victims of violence in Berlin said it had been experiencing an increased number of inquiries for days.

No details on the perpetrators

Bill Kaulitz provided no further details about the perpetrators of the assaults at the time in the interviews. He spoke only of recurring situations that he had not been able to categorize. Out of shame, he had also told his parents nothing about it for a long time. It was only in adulthood that he was able to name what had happened for what it was.

The reporting on the interview is international. The story was also picked up in the USA, where the Kaulitz twins have long lived. In the English-language tabloid press, the passage about the sexual assaults was highlighted above all, while German media focused more strongly on the context of queer hostility.

Bill Kaulitz announced that he would continue to speak publicly on queer issues in the future. He wants to use his reach to draw attention to the lived reality of queer people. "Ich kann heute so sitzen, weil ich weiß, dass ich mich wehren kann," he said – well aware that this path is not yet possible for many others.