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Zoff in Cologne: Church ban on rainbow symbols sparks outrage!
Archdiocese of Cologne bans rainbow symbols; Protests announced to demand tolerance and diversity. Rally on July 12th.
Zoff in Cologne: Church ban on rainbow symbols sparks outrage!
The opening of the new Catholic educational campus in Cologne-Kalk is causing a stir. On that day, the Archdiocese of Cologne banned any visible rainbow symbols in the new facilities. This has led to a huge outcry in the city. Maria Mesrian from the Maria 2.0 initiative harshly criticized Cardinal Woelki's decision and described the ban as a sign of intolerance and discrimination against the LGBTQI* community. Mesrian believes that the ban betrays the church's message and is an affront to the openness of the city of Cologne, especially after Christopher Street Day (CSD). So it is not surprising that a rally is planned for Saturday, July 12th under the motto “against intolerance and discrimination in the Archdiocese of Cologne” to set an example for more tolerance.
Another excitement was the inauguration of the school center, where parents and students couldn't keep quiet. Many of them wore rainbow buttons, shirts and tights to stand up for their rights. Despite pressure from school management, according to reports from the... star made it clear that avoiding rainbow symbols was desirable, they resisted the restriction. At the opening, a community representative who was handing out rainbow stickers was even expelled from the school grounds by security guards. It became clear that the pressure on employees is enormous – this is referred to as a “system full of fear”.
Rainbow flag and its meaning
The general unrest is not only felt locally, but touches on a much larger issue. The rainbow flag is a universal symbol of solidarity with the LGBTQI* community and represents the diversity of ways of life and love. The six colors of the flag represent different values, such as red for life and blue for harmony. The first rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 and has been a sign of pride and a symbol against discrimination ever since.
But back to Cologne: It remains to be seen whether things will calm down or whether the planned demonstration on Saturday will cause even more excitement. What is clear, however, is that dialogue about tolerance, diversity and equality is urgently needed. After all, every person should be able to find their place in society, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.