Why We Still Need Pride Today
On May 23rd, 1,500 people marched in Gütersloh's historic first CSD. In a world where queer existence is up for debate again, standing together in our hometowns is a vital act of defiance. Here is why we still need Pride.
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On May 23rd, the first Christopher Street Day (CSD) in the German city of Gütersloh took place. 1,500 people were a part of it, making it from the start the second largest CSD in the whole of the East Westfalia-Lippe (OWL) region. Some of you may be ask yourselves now “Why do we still need CSDs and Pride today?” and “What exactly is Pride and the LGBTQIA+ Community?“
This text – written by a transgender lesbian – tries to give an answer to both questions.
The acronym LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Inter, A-(gender,sexual,romantic) and all other people who don’t fall under the category of people who either like just the opposite gender (Heterosexual) and/or identify with the gender they were assigned at birth (Cisgender). The term Pride in this case means also to be proud of your own identity in direct refusal to hide, deflect or apologize for who we are.
For why we still need Pride and CSDs: Yes today the situation for the queer Community in the political West is better than decades ago – that is a fact. But we still don’t have equal rights and are, in fact, facing increasing levels of attack and discrimination simply because of who we are.
The Pride community and movement started in 1969 in New York City in the US when patrons of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street started a riot and fought back against police violence and raids. Today as well as back then, Pride is a riot born out of resistance. While we also celebrate the progress we already have achieved when we organise Christopher Street Days, we remember that those rights weren’t handed to us peacefully, they were fought for. CSDs therefore are also time where we remember all those died in the struggle for our rights and demonstrations for our future.
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Pride is also needed in a time where far-right parties gain popularity across Europe, the political West and globally. Wherever far-right and right-wing populist parties – like the German AfD, the British Reform UK, the Italian Fratelli d’Italia or the Republican Party in the US – gain power, they immediately attack and revert the progress that the Pride movement achieved. These parties especially attack transgender and non-binary people and stoke violence against the transgender community. This has lead to a measurable surge of hate speech and deadly violence on the streets against trans and non-binary people as well as everyone who doesn’t correspond to the far-right gender stereotype. Directly turning political rhetoric into a threat for human lives.
Attacks on transgender and non-binary people aren’t where it stops. They are the starting point for a systemic rollback of broader democratic and civil liberties. Let it be seen in Italy, where the ruling right-wing populist Fratelli d’Italia under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stripped lesbian parents of their legal rights as parents by removing the non-biological parent from their child’s birth certificate, the UK, where the government has used legal and administrative guidance to restrict trans people's access to public services, and the US, where a relentless wave of state and federal legislation has banned gender-affirming care, restricted drag performances and enacted “Don’t Say Gay“ laws that effectively erased LGBTQIA+ people and visibility from schools.
This backtracking of human rights globally is exactly why we need Pride and why local visibility matters now more than ever. The people attending the first CSD in Gütersloh weren’t just partying and celebrating the achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community but making a loud and clear political message. In a world where queer existence is up again for debate is simply standing together in our hometowns an act of defiance and resistance. It sends a clear message to everyone who wish to erase us:
We are here. We are Queer. And if you don’t respect our existence, expect resistance!
From the Stonewall Inn in 1969 to streets in Gütersloh and other towns and cities today remains the heartbeat of Pride remain unchanged: it’s a refusal to hide and apologies for who we are. The first CSD in Gütersloh was a beautiful milestone especially for the city.
Let it be a reminder for everyone that as long as there are those trying to push us LGBTQIA+ people into shadows, we – queer people and allies – will step into the light together. 🏳️🌈
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