On 25 March 2025, Achim (79) sits in his flat in Hanover, looking out of the window and reflecting on a turning point in 1990, when, at the age of 45, he suddenly realised that he was gay. After coming out, he joined a group for gay fathers and found a community that supported him in living openly. In the 1990s, he moved to Hanover, where he and his friend Gert co-founded Café Konrad, which became a central meeting place for the city's queer community. His story illustrates both the late but liberating process of self-acceptance and the importance of creating visible spaces for others.