Cologne's CSD in danger: Merz 'circus tent statement causes excitement!

Cologne's CSD in danger: Merz 'circus tent statement causes excitement!

Köln, Deutschland - Cologne celebrates the "Cologne Pride" this weekend, and the anticipation is tangible. But the mood in the LGBTQ community is tense and shaped by various hostility. The current statements by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) have reinforced this again in an ARD talk show. Merz had criticized the decision of Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) not to reduce the rainbow flag for this year's Pride event and dismiss the whole thing with a comparison to the circus tent. This statement ensured a wave of outrage among the queer activists: inside and supporters, since the hot flag is a strong symbol of recognition and diversity. Katharina Dröge, the group leader of the Greens, asked the Chancellor to take part in the parade on Sunday in order to leave the purified impression among the participants, since he also had to ignore the increasing hostility against queer people. As reports tagenspiegel.de, what the "cologne Pride ”to the largest Pride event in Europe.

The background of this outrage is alarming: According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, there were 1765 incidents related to sexual orientation last year, this is an increase of 18 percent compared to 2023. The increase in attacks on trans and non-binous persons is particularly worrying, of which 1152 pose an increase of 35 percent. These developments throw a shadow on the weekend, which should actually take place in a colorful party mood. Even Rangnick to [Br.de] (https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/keregenbogenflagge-beime-csd-cs-kritik-an-merz-nach-zirkuszelt-aussage ,upnik6v) notice that political rhetoric not only expresses itself, but also in reality, which is becoming increasingly threatening.

The dangers and challenges

The CSD events are increasingly facing challenges. For example, the parade in Gelsenkirchen was canceled on the basis of an "abstract threat situation", while the number of right-wing extremists attacks on queer events, according to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, increased to 55 in 2024. The Cologne police have therefore developed a comprehensive security concept that doubles the security forces compared to the previous year. This has also increased the security budget to 20 times the expenditure of 2017 in order to be able to react better to possible threats, as [https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/csd-koeln-sicherheit-100.html).

The Cologne police asked around 60,000 expected participants this year not to report any specific dangers. Despite the increased security measures Elten, the organizers emphasize pride and resistance to these intimidation. An additional "awareness tent" is set up to help people who need support. An important sign of solidarity with the queer community becomes all the clearer in these difficult times. Yvonne Fahrenholz reports that everyday harassment experiences have increased and emphasizes how important it is to bundle the voices for equality and diversity in these challenging times.

While Christopher Street Day reminds of the historical struggles of the LGBTQ community, the Cologne-Pride should not only be a party, but also a call to work against discrimination and violence. The weekend will be shaped by a mixture of celebrations and serious arguments - a warning that the struggle for equality has not yet been won.