




furien.firma is a fundraising project launched in 2021 by two designers and artists aiming to create an online community of like-minded FLINTA creatives to collaborate on projects with an activist purpose. The name furien.firma is derived from the derogatory German term “Furie,” commonly used (by men) to describe a “hysterical” woman, and “Firma,” meaning company or firm. The intention was to combine these words, often used by or within male-dominated spaces, and reappropriate their meaning for empowerment.
For their first collaborative benefit project under the hashtag #patriarchatabtreiben (“abort the patriarchy”), a textile scarf was produced and sold to raise donations. At the core of the project was the belief that to be free from societal constraints imposed by cis-male hegemony, we must embrace collectivity and liberate ourselves through creative power, exchange, and solidarity, especially to support those who suffer intersectionally under this system.
All profits went to Trans*Sexworks, a peer to peer support structure and network for and by trans, intersex, and non-binary sex workers based in Berlin. Trans sex workers in Germany, as in many other countries, are often excluded from support and counseling structures due to a lack of services suited to their specific needs, particularly regarding various trans-specific issues that frequently go unaddressed. Trans*Sexworks Berlin aims to meet the needs of those facing the most significant challenges on a peer-to-peer basis. These issues affect sex workers across all backgrounds—whether working indoors or outdoors, with or without internet access, trans men or trans women.
“We can only discuss HIV prevention and harm reduction if we create living conditions that give sex workers the chance to focus on these areas. As long as there is limited or no ability to say ’no’ to certain clients, and as long as we struggle to develop survival strategies, there isn’t a foundation for progress. Successful HIV prevention and harm reduction must begin by establishing better living conditions and legal work opportunities for trans* sex workers. Additionally, we need daily strategies to combat transphobia and homophobia. These forms of discrimination are often connected to intersectional identities and/or oppressions faced by workers.” (from Trans*Sexworks)
Visual Impact
To promote the scarves through furien.firma on online platforms, video and photo materials were created in collaboration with other creatives and sex workers. The focus was on crafting impactful visuals that convey a sense of resistance to normative constraints. The visual appeal of the scarf itself is somewhat understated; it acts as an accessory—a “pretty” object to the viewer, yet holds much deeper significance for the wearer. As the slogan “Patriarchat abtreiben” (a phrase used by various political groups in intersectional feminist movements, especially within reproductive justice advocacy) is only visible when the scarf is unfolded, the wearer can feel empowered without necessarily risking exposure to political vulnerability. It serves as a material medium to foster community building and empowerment.
Additionally, as a fashion item, the scarf is accessible to a wide range of people since it doesn’t fall into societal categories of size or gender. Creating products that offer value beyond the material was central to this project’s purpose.
Text by Vivien Sorrentino and Merle Marx