Eek!! The narrow shell is tipping over again, sending me gliding in slow motion into the water, whence I submerge...

Why do I bother trying to keep my head above water in this narrow racing boat? A medal at the Gay Games is as far away as the opposite bank. All this just to be there?

Well, I can't get the picture of the two Texans at the last Gay Games out of my mind: gigantic, half-naked "animals", bathed in sweat they climb out of their boat at the winners' podium and fall exhausted and delirious with joy into each other's strong arms- stomach to stomach, chest to chest, their mouths melting into one....

I'll never get one of those!

"What I can't get from without, I'll have to find within!"

Thus I try again. Soaking wet, I slide forward for the catch then push myself back from the foot stretcher- my body as tense as a bow- and let the oar blades rush through the water. With each successful stroke my boat gets faster until it's shooting like an arrow through the water.

Each of us would say something different about what motivates him/her to row.

• "Too fat, got to lose weight"
• "Want to sit in a boat with other lesbians"
• "Want to really work out"
• "'These latted boats are sooo romantic"
• "On rowing tours I can experience nature, water and waves together with close friends"
• "Maybe the stroke will fall in love with me"
• "Rowing is competitive and recreational"
• "Rowing is life. Everything else is just waiting"

By coincidence, by word of mouth, we got together in order to row with other gays and lesbians. Most of them were absolute beginners. For some it was a courageous fresh start after years of abstinence from sport (traumatised as a child when "Flabby" was always last to be picked for a team).

But in doing sport "among ourselves", shyness and shame disappeared. No-one was looked at askance- except perhaps by the lesbian or queen smiling at us because she/he thinks we're great. No teasing when a man screams. No "God help us!" looks from the trainer if wrists break during the warm-up.

You alone set the standard and decide how high to place the bar. Relaxed rowing in a wide "engagement single" or victory in a fast eight- what is your goal?

Training together with "one's own"; not to have to hide or hold yourself back; to be able to give free rein to your thoughts, desires and feelings whilst gliding along the waterways of Berlin & Brandenburg; success at gay/lesbian and other regattas: from all this a gay & lesbian group has developed that is, for many of us, unique in our social environment. Sharing this experience with others is the aim and object of Queerschlag.

We want gays and lesbians to find their way to this great sport- and also to other gay and lesbian rowers! For this reason we created the forum Queerschlag. It should be the gateway through which all gays and lesbians interested in rowing gain access to the world of rowlocks, oars, eights, sliding seats, port, starboard..., such that gays & lesbians (Queer) together with their friends can, by way of powerful rowing strokes (schlag), experience this multi-facetted sport.