Police search at Berlin queer centre Casa Kuà: a row over hormones, self-help and the raid

What happened On Sunday evening, 18 October 2026, Berlin police searched the queer centre Casa Kuà on Naunynstrasse in Kreuzberg, according to gay.ch, while the weekly meeting «The Dolls» for transfeminine people was under way. The centre says personal details were recorded, some people were held, and items were taken, including cash and hormone medication.

What the authorities say According to a dpa report, the Berlin public prosecutor's office is investigating suspected illegal trade in prescription medication. Police are said to have secured prescription drugs and narcotics, data storage devices and a four-figure sum in cash. The operators say the project campaigns for better access to healthcare for trans, intersex, non-binary and queer people.

Reactions About 100 to 140 people gathered spontaneously outside the building for a protest titled «Hormone für alle» (hormones for all), according to the reports; police reported scuffles but no injuries. Casa Kuà calls the operation an attack on the trans community. Maik Brückner, the Left Party's queer commissioner in the Bundestag, criticised both the raid and the state of care, per gay.ch: insurers increasingly refuse to cover hormone therapy and many practices are not taking new patients.

Why it matters in Switzerland too The case shows how tight access to gender-affirming care is in many places and how quickly self-help runs into legal limits. In Switzerland, doctors and advice are available through Transgender Network Switzerland and the Checkpoints; community-organised handing out of medication is legally delicate here too and not advisable without medical supervision. The investigation is ongoing and nothing is known about charges. This piece summarises reporting by gay.ch and dpa.

Last checked: 24 October 2026