Hello dear people at the rally against patriarchal violence.
We from Queer Pride Dresden were pleased to be asked again to contribute to today’s event. And at the same time we are angry that we have to give another speech about exclusion, attacks and increasing rates of violence. That we are forced to talk about how grim things are for the safety of queer people.
We are sad, because just a few days ago we came together once before because of patriarchal violence. 20 November was Trans Day of Remembrance. There we commemorated the victims of transphobia.
We are concerned to see how dark it looks worldwide, but also very specifically in Saxony.
Last but not least, we decided to face this sad day, this sad topic, with determination and resilience. We can do this because there is something that gives us courage.
We are encouraged by the fact that there are many people and organisations here alongside us who are fighting against violence. Who want to recognise and tackle the systemic problem behind all the hundreds, thousands of supposedly one-off incidents. And who are building intersectional alliances to do so. Who counter the patriarchal claim of authority with something: emancipatory solidarity.
Today we want to shine a spotlight on the current wave of martial, anti-queer mobilisations. We have compiled a statistical analysis for this purpose. The good news first: a total of almost 40,000 people attended Pride gatherings in Saxony. That’s almost 30% more than last year. At the same time, however, there were at least 13 right wing protests. Around 2,600 people were mobilised for these counter-activities. That is a huge increase. Until this summer, there were only isolated protests and attacks, for example in Pirna, Döbeln und Radebeul. But now 2/3 of all CSDs in Saxony are affected. The Nazis’ aim is clearly anti-feminist. They want to push through their exaggerated ideas of masculinity, they want to silence marginalised voices, they want to drive us out of the public sphere.
The ignorance of the authorities is downright appalling. Despite all the warning signs, despite the dehumanising rhetoric and aggressive behaviour of the extreme right-wing groups, the police predicted a ‘peaceful outcome’ in all cases. And the actual result: twelve times more criminal offences and misdemeanours than in 2023, meaning that state power protects us – if at all – from attacks only by chance.
What really protected us was mutual support. What strengthened us was journeys from larger cities to smaller towns as mutual support. What helped us were warnings and safety advice from antifa groups. The self-determined, safe queer visibility in Saxony was made possible by collective queer, anti-fascist actions.
For example, we were able to occupy the meeting point of the Elblandrevolte at their planned protest on 1 June in Dresden. We were able to delay their journey to CSD Bautzen by blockading the platform. In Görlitz, we were able to stand resolutely in the way when the police wanted to lead the right-wing march directly to the final rally.
One year ago, we postulated here: ‘We can’t face the patriarchy alone, but together we can!’ And today I can tell you: yes, that’s true. It’s often arduous and annoying. Sometimes it feels more exhausting than empowering. There are also moments of uncertainty and fear. But in the end, it’s what we can rely on: That we are not helplessly at the mercy of this violence if we join together and support each other.
This idea was beautifully formulated at the “Take Back The Night” demo: “We will show our compassion and comradeship. We will stand together, shoulder by shoulder, in all the different ways we are plagued by patriarchy.”
When I look around here, I see so many wonderful people. You are colourful, you are loud. You are affectionate and angry. You help directly in private and you make political demands. In short: you are diverse. And we at Queer Pride know for sure: Our diversity is our strength. Let’s stand together and use that strength!
We demand full solidarity with all victims of patriarchal violence. We will continue to remember the people whose lives were taken from us. We will continue to name their names. We will continue to fight for justice! And if we stand up for each other, we will win this fight!