Anna Rosenwasser and her plea for medium -sized mass

The queer activist and author Anna Rosenwasser was elected to the National Council in 2023. Now she is introducing her second book: a mix of queer social criticism, biographical and anecdotes from the Bundeshaus-the « Safe Space for CIS men ».

Pink cover, just over 200 pages, the title in the form of the outline of half a heart. Anna Rosenwasser’s second book is playful-like the 34-year-old herself.

Half a heart, that fits the queer activist who likes to celebrate the love for her community, but also persists against a exclusive society and the patriarchy.

We meet rose water in Zurich. White-Rosa sweater with hearts, a finger ring with a heart motif, finger tattooed with hearts-the difference to the « Tenue Politique » is striking and part of the message. Rose water is different and the others are the one who represents them in parliament.

Rosenwasser likes to call her around 50,000 followers on Instagram on Instagram. In 2023 they surprisingly rested the “Büsis” to the national parliament. Rose water overtook 12 other SP candidates. It was the big coup of these elections and a moment of history for the Queere Community in Switzerland.

Bundes-Büsi tours

In the Bundeshaus, Rosenwasser is now organizing guided tours for their followers, or as it calls it: “Bundes-Büsi tours”. Sounds silly? That’s not how it is meant. Rosenwasser wants to appeal to people who would not go on a traditional Bundeshaus tour because they would find out strange there.

To enable community for minorized groups, that was previously one of Anna Rosenwasser’s ambitions. For example, when she invited her community to meet at Zurich Central Station and go into the exit together. For some queers it was the « thrust » they needed so as not to crawl at home.

Rose water has also remained activist as a national councilor. And here again your book comes into play: « Heart – Feminist strategies and queer hope ». It is aimed at the middle of society as well as its community, which she would otherwise reach on Instagram. « I can’t deepen anything on Insta, so the book, » says Rosenwasser.

Even if everything mixes, the side by side as an author and as a national councilor is hardly reasonable. « The militia system is a good idea, but it is no longer realistic with the workload as a parliamentarian. » That is why certain population groups are not represented in the Bundeshaus, she concludes in accordance with her party.

A joke, a shit storm

Rosenwasser once studied journalism at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and later political science at the University of Zurich. For ten years she worked as a journalist, including for the “Schaffhauser Nachrichten”, where she grew up.

She has an ambivalent relationship with the media today. She several times criticized in her book that the media are sensational, in particular would hang up details and drive in front of them for weeks.

The rose water experienced in January, after being reviewed with her lesbian party colleague Tamara Funiciello for the Women’s World Cup. Rosenwasser joked: « I’m not interested in football, but I am interested in lesbians who do sports. » Funiciello followed. Some found that they would not take women’s football seriously. Both apologized later.

« The media always turned the same bike for four weeks, » says Rosenwasser about this time. The real topic of whether and how to speak publicly about your request would not have touched them. « But I was particularly annoyed that the word lesbian was interpreted as a swear word. » A malicious distortion for rose water that was managing director of the Swiss lesbian organization for four years.

Male medium

The media pressure, the workload – January did not go past rose water without a trace. She almost put her office as a national councilor, she says. Instead, she decided to increase the workload of her parliamentary employee – as other national councils also employ him – from 30 to 70 percent to get some air.

Actually, she never felt better than in the time before the election to Parliament when she only worked 80 percent. Rose water has ADHD. Sometimes everything becomes too much for her. « I know that I have to take breaks to be receptive again, » she says. Therefore, her work cell phone strictly puts her away for two days a week and thus also her Instagram account.

She knew that she misses part of the political work, she says. And also the opportunity to remain known. « If I am not available, inquiries pass by, I have to endure, » she says. « Otherwise my ADHD would go through the ceiling. »

This is not only self -protection for rose water, but also a plea. Women are taught that they should be perfect, she writes in her book. In contrast, mediumness is completely normal for men.

Self -confident despite the medium mass

Rosenwasser has learned in the Bundeshaus, among other things, that mediocre is sufficient. She describes how a colleague proudly showed her a Facebook post that turned out to be absolutely mediocre. She couldn’t imagine a woman who would have told her about it in such high tones.

And so she concludes in her book: «To identify this male, socialized insolence, to recognize the male socialized courage to process process -oriented people, can help us to no longer expect perfection from ourselves. But mediation. « 

Women and men in politics are not measured with the same Elle, rose water is convinced. The Sanija Ameti case shows an example. The GLP politician had shot a picture of Jesus in a basement with an air pistol and posted a picture of it. The result: shitstorm, job loss, party exit.

In the National Council, on the other hand, men who were convicted of racial discrimination and accused several times for domestic violence are reminiscent of Rosenwasser. These men were re -elected. Rosenwasser calls the politicians in their book by name. If you don’t want to end up in a story, you should « do not make shit », said Rosenwasser. This also applies to the Bundeshaus, this “Safe Space for CIS men”.

A fluffy fur

When Anna Rosenwasser stood in the Bundeshaus for the first time after the election, she spoke of the patriotic feelings that they would have come over. It was meant seriously, but not either. Patriotism is an absurd feeling, says Rosenwasser, because you are proud of something that you can’t do anything for. Namely, luck to be born in a country like Switzerland. At the same time, there is respect for the task of representing part of the Swiss population.

In Bern, she was advised to get a thick fur. Even a little cynicism is a shame. Rosenwasser contradicts: “Being hard, suppressing his emotions, someone has never been good. It has been proven that you feel better if you have healthy access to your feelings and can also show them. »

Rose water wants to keep their soft side. Tactical side effect: «My colleagues in the council do not perceive me as a real competition. Not yet. »

Councilor is not rose water, but less hard – which distinguishes it from other representatives of the polar parties. She knows that she is better accepted by queer-hostile men. But also because of their appearance that fits into the female beauty standard. « When I go to the arena, that’s why I’m just less on. »

Funiciello and rose water

Her party colleague Tamara Funiciello appears more provocative and is hostile. She is also made a hate figure by the media. It is just as soft and permeable as me ». When rose water was chosen, Funiciello said to her: « Now I’m no longer alone. »

Since then, the media have repeatedly raised the question: Does it have space for two queer politicians, Funiciello and Rosenwasser? Rosenwasser finds the absurd: « It always has space for many talented women side by side. » But women would still be played against each other to keep them small. A powerful mechanism of action of the patriarchy.

Rose water is not immune from that either. She keeps finding resentment with learned resentment, she says. Your strategy, on the other hand,: to turn the feeling into solidarity. As last, when she found in the bookstore that the soft cover by Nina Kunz ‘book « I think, I think too much » was a bestseller three years after the hardcover. « I wrote Nina a message and told her how great the book was. »

In the evening of our meeting, Rosenwasser has a reading with her own book. The merchant hall is sold out. Her pink shiny bag left it in the backstage, on which is a fluffy cat with a dagger between her teeth.