Delphine von Kaatz: the vision behind Mon Q Ta Praline

Delphine Von Kaatz is a queer designer and event organizer known for their custom, inclusive lingerie line and Mon Q Ta Praline, a beloved queer party celebrating 15 years of unique dress codes, live acts, and community spirit. Active as a DJ and advocate, they champion inclusive spaces and support for marginalized groups within Brussels’ rich queer culture. She will be giving a DJ set at Sunday Funday this Nov 17th at The Crazy Circle. Next Mon Q Ta Praline (#22) will happen at La Vallée on Nov 30.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What has been your journey? 

In 2005, I arrived in Belgium to study fashion design at La Cambre, but I quickly left the course and started a handmade, custom, feminist lingerie line for all body sizes. To promote it, my gay friends Michel-Ange and Eric, who organized the Bitchy Butch Pride event, invited me to do a fashion show. I recruited ten friends to model my pieces, and the atmosphere was electric—it was the start of an adventure full of love, creativity, and last-minute sewing backstage. At a Gossip concert, I asked to meet singer Beth Ditto (a fabulous plus-size lesbian), offering to make her custom underwear. She ended up ordering pieces for a festival tour, and that exposure led to media coverage and more orders. Over time, my designs were worn by incredible queer personalities like Peaches, Wendy Delorme, ScreamClub, and Virginie Despentes. 

In 2009, I had to leave Belgium and organized a goodbye party called Mon Cul Ta Praline with DJs, live performances, an expo, and even a now-iconic raffle. By a twist of fate, I stayed in Brussels, and Mon Cul Ta Praline became a queer party, with the most fun crowd in the city, celebrating its 15th anniversary this past May! Over the years, we’ve hosted my idols, including Rebeka Warrior, Austra, Stereo Total, Beth Ditto, Mary-L, Bagarre, and many others. There’s always a dress code, often paired with an activity to connect people, like our last event with “La Roue à Pécho” and a large mural for messages of love to trans communities. 

I also organized lesbian, bi, trans, and feminist events for nearly 10 years at RainbowHouse Brussels, including the L-Festival and Lesborama. We’ve created countless spin-offs of Mon Q Ta Praline, like Mon Q Ton Blindtest, La Boum de Mon Q, La Grosse Praline, and La Sainte Praline—fun collaborations with other collectives, closing parties for festivals, and more. Oh, and “Mon Cul” eventually became “Mon Q” due to internet censorship, but the core identity remains strong! 

What are your current or future projects? 

Mon Q Ta Praline #22 is coming on November 30 at LaVallée, and I’m thrilled to invite two of my idols, Grace et Volupté Van Van, a queer rap-electro group from southern France. They’re super cute, with sharp, often funny lyrics. The lineup is almost set, and soon I’ll announce the dress code. I’m also a DJ, so you can catch me at other events beyond my own! 

What does being a part of the Brussels queer community mean to you? 

It’s my lifeblood, my oxygen. My chosen family, my audience, and my daily inspiration. We have an amazing queer scene in Brussels, both in nightlife and among advocacy groups, collectives, and mutual aid initiatives. The drag scene is fantastic, and we’re lucky to have an awesome lesbian and queer bar, the Crazy Circle, at a time when lesbian bars are vanishing. I’ve been invited to bring Mon Q Ta Praline to other cities and countries, but I’ve always felt it wouldn’t be the same without the Brussels queer crowd. 

What are your queer influences? 

Beth Ditto, for sure. She’s plus-sized, lesbian, political, from a tiny U.S. town, and rose to fame as a singer and muse for high-fashion designers—all while being warm, funny, and incredibly kind. She was the role model I needed when I discovered her in 2006, and she means the world to me. Plus, she gives great hugs. Virginie Despentes and her books have also been important to me. Earlier in life, I loved Pédale Douce (even though it hasn’t aged well), and discovering John Waters was a turning point in my teenage years. Films by Téchiné, like Les Roseaux Sauvages, also shaped me. I guess I was gay before I was lesbian, in a way! There weren’t many lesbians on TV back then… 

What Brussels or Belgian queer initiatives are you fond of? 

I love the work of FatSabbat, a queer and racialized collective led by Ophélie Mac with such care and persistence. I deeply respect mutual aid initiatives like the Trans Solidarity Fund Brussels. I adore the drag scene, the Peaux de Minuit collective (a vibrant, inventive BIPOC group), and the Sassy Cabaret, especially when Ernesto Coyote and Blanket la Goulue are involved!