DER HERRGOTT HAT MICH SO ERSCHAFFEN

Sepp Stückl is a farmer family's second born son. The Stückls are large family, with deep-rooted rural Bavarian traditions and strong ties to the Catholic Church. Every Sunday after church-service, the family goes to a traditional Bavarian dress-club, the "Trachtenverein". Schuhplattln, the original Bavarian dance, is Sepp's great passion.

While Sepp's brother inherits the farm, Sepp goes to business school, completes an apprenticeship in banking, gets a job and build a house. The only thing missing is a wife. While rumours start spreading in the village, Sepp doesn't even dare to think about being gay. At 28 he is confronted openly at a swimming pool about his homosexuality by another gay man.

For the deeply religious man, the realization of being gay comes as a shock. "I fought the devil inside of me for three years", Sepp Stückl says. Not until then can he accept himself the way he is.

Soon he discovers that there are more closeted gay men living in the country. With a few of them, Sepp Stückl founds the first gay "Trachtenverein", called "Schwuhplattler" or "Poofplattlers". This dancer's troupe is quite successful at festivals and different events. Sepp is proud to have found a way of life that combines his love of men, his belief and his joy of Schuhplattln.