QUEER PRIDE
About dreaming and dancing, feasting and fighting!
Hello dear queers and allies,
We are happy to see all your beautiful faces here today.
It is more important than ever to take part in anti-fascist and emancipatory demos.
Today we want to create a queer safer space where no one has to hide. A day where you can just be yourselves. We want to create beautiful memories, we want to dance, we want to be loud. We want to show the whole of Dresden that we exist. We will claim the space we deserve and we need.
We want to celebrate the fourth Queer Pride. Four years of loud and colourful, angry and sexy, consensual and combative queer voices from Dresden!
But of course we’re not here just to celebrate. Because queerness is not just a set of letters. It means thinking and living queer. It means to ruffle the feathers of normative structures.
The fact of our existence is still a shocking scandal to many intolerant people. In many places around the world, queer people are systematically discriminated against. They often have to fear for their lives and safety. However, the new European asylum system GEAS makes it almost impossible to escape from such conditions.
The EU wants to turn queer refugees away at the outer borders even before they can apply for asylum. They are sent back to their queer-hostile home countries. To countries where they can no longer express their sexuality and/or gender. Where they have to hide, are not allowed to hold hands, are not allowed to be politically active. Where they have to live every day in fear of queer-hostile violence. This is utterly unfair and dangerous, it is inhumane and we strictly reject all of this!
But let’s take a closer look at our own backyard: local elections were held here in Dresden at the beginning of the month, and the election results are making us sick. With a right-wing majority in the city council, every progressive improvement, no matter how small, becomes a fight against the tide. The results also say a lot about the attitude of the people who live here. How many don’t care about social inequality. How many think selfishly only of themselves, without regard for others. It shows how many people don’t want to think beyond the end of their own nose.
That is both dangerous and disheartening. We have no choice but to turn our anger about this into energy for political action. Take to the streets and do something about the feeling of powerlessness! Organise yourselves, because being active together gives courage!
There will also be a Queer Pride kick-off meeting in autumn. Follow our social media channels for the announcement. Come to the meeting, get to know us and get involved in our work.
If you don’t have the time or energy for political engagement, financial support always helps. You can give donations to the people who come round the demo with money boxes. Of course you can also transfer money via the QR code on our leaflets. Every euro helps us and goes directly to our projects like this demo, workshops, community events like the “unholy club”, and so on – thank you very much for all your support.
And I would like to take this moment to say a huge thank you. Thank you to everyone who organised Queer Pride and the whole programme around it! Thank you to everyone who makes our community so dynamic.
As you can imagine, we still have it relatively easy as Pride in a big city like Dresden, despite all the problems. Right-wing counter-protests have also been on the rise here recently, but in smaller towns and provinces there is practically no CSD without disruptions from Nazis. Therefore, solidarity greetings go out to all people who remain steadfast in rural areas!
It is incredible to see how an incredible network of people, events and queer politics has formed throughout Saxony in recent years. From the very beginning, networking throughout Saxony and beyond was a major mission of our Queer Pride. Because together we are louder, can learn from each other and support each other!
Together we are so many contemplative and courageous voices. So many compassionate and committed, angry and affectionate queer voices! And only together can we stand our ground against the people and structures that keep attacking our rights and self-determination!
We owe our deepest respect to all those who continue to stand up against the right, who continue to fight for their spaces. We are calling for your support: back these people. Form car pools and travel to the countryside, support the small CSDs and Prides! Shoulder to shoulder against fascism!
This mutual support is genuine solidarity and practical anti-fascism. And that is exactly what we as an emancipatory, critical left-wing Pride are all about. For us, anti-fascism is not just a nice word. It is our response to the increasing preaching of hate. It is our reaction to the dangerous machinations of nazist and fascist merchants of hatred.
We raise our voices when in Saxony the AfD incites hate against queer people, when our siblings are harassed, harmed and hurt. We remain inconvenient and defiant when CDU ministers want to ban gender-equal language. We ask questions and make demands when election promises are broken. For example, when the new state action plan on diversity in Saxony is still a long time off, despite all the promises made.
Social developments in recent years show how important it is to take a clear stance! Because otherwise hatred will gain more and more traction, in parliaments, in the media and on our streets. The motto of this year’s demo is therefore very deliberately “Queer and Antifascist – unite and resist!”
Being queer and being antifascist – it is one thing to us! It is one struggle.
Because anti-fascism is prerequisite to the world we’re dreaming of. We want nothing less than a world in which everyone can live safely. A world where nobody is forced into strict notions of gender. In which no one is confined within narrow sexual norms. A world in which people can live wherever they want and receive the care they need. In which everyone is an equal part of society. A part of an empowering society, where every single one of us can shine bright.
This world we’re dreaming of is constantly under threat. But we will never lose sight of this dream, We continue dreaming and dancing. We continue feasting and fighting. We continue creating this caring community. We carry on because we truly believe in one thing: Our love and our colourful dreams are stronger than right-wing rancour and grey capitalist uniformity.
Today we invite you to dream with us and shape our visions into reality. At the demo and at the party, talking and dancing together. We are brave and bold because we know one thing for sure: we will never leave each other alone as a community, and we will never give up as a community!
Thank you all for being here today!
JOIN OUR FIGHT – JOIN THE PRIDE!
e*vibes
Dear listeners, dear queers, We from e*vibes are here today to stand with you for the rights and visibility of queer people. We are thrilled to see how many of us are gathered here today! But we are also here to point out issues that often remain hidden. Issues like those with CSD Dresden, which challenge the fundamental values of Pride and underscore the need for this Queer Pride. Christopher Street Day has historically been a place of resistance and solidarity. It stands for the rights and self-determination of all LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially those most marginalized and endangered in our society. Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that CSD Dresden does not uphold these principles. In 2019, accusations surfaced against Roland Zenker, a board member of CSD Dresden, with several witnesses reporting sexual acts by Zenker with dependent refugees, some under sworn testimony. This is problematic partly because CSD Dresden employs highly questionable methods in dealing with dependents. As we wrote in a statement in 2019, refugees are pressured into granting general powers of attorney to CSD staff, often without understanding them due to a lack of translation. Such powers of attorney confer extensive powers, including control over their correspondence and thus their asylum procedures. Many other social organizations fundamentally reject general powers of attorney for this reason. Dependents at CSD Dresden are always in a position of dependency, receiving resources and practical support, including from Zenker. Under such conditions, consent to sexual acts can never be genuine, as there is always the pressure of losing support. Moreover, some emergency shelters for queer refugees are located right next to office spaces. Zenker had keys to these and other shelters, making retreat and true privacy impossible for refugees. After the allegations of sexual abuse became known, the Saxon Refugee Council, among others, demanded transparency and clarification, which have yet to be provided. Instead, Zenker continues to deny everything and is legally represented by Frank Hanning. Hanning was the lawyer for Walter Lübcke’s murderer, a supporter of the PEGIDA association, and active in a racist initiative against a planned refugee shelter in Prohlis. There have been no consequences for Zenker within the CSD Dresden association. He remains a board member and is protected and defended. The general powers of attorney continue to be demanded from the refugees in slightly modified forms. Even the legal, anonymous complaint office for sexual harassment set up by CSD Dresden is not neutral but is overseen by a lawyer closely cooperating with CSD Dresden. Zenker is not alone in his sympathy for right-wing positions within CSD Dresden. For example, Matthias Eibisch, a CSD board member, shared racist posts by an AfD member, and Philipp Grafe, photographer and designer for CSD, ranted on Facebook against “do-gooders,” used right-wing terms, and denied Germany’s historical responsibility. These are some of the reasons why organizations like RosaLinde Leipzig, the Lesbians and Gays Association of Saxony and Gerede e.V. have long stopped collaborating with CSD Dresden, and why we also refuse to cooperate. Besides criticizing Zenker and CSD Dresden, we also want to address the issue of party participation and the increasingly commercial nature of many large CSDs in Germany. The “Angry Queers Dresden,” who published a text about CSD a few weeks ago, raise the question of how credible these parades are when political parties and large corporations are overrepresented. They correctly answer that it has little to do with credibility to give a platform to the SPD, for example, which has clung to the fundamentally unconstitutional Transsexual Law (TSG) for years. Parties use occasions like CSD for election campaigning and feign queer-friendliness while simultaneously pursuing policies against the queer community. We’ve seen in Dresden that it’s all about election campaigning when suddenly many campaign posters with rainbow symbols appeared along the CSD route shortly before the event. Queer rights must be viewed in connection with social and anti-racist issues. We advocate maintaining a critical distance from political parties, as a fundamental improvement in the living situation of queer people cannot be achieved solely through party politics. In a capitalist society, parties primarily pursue the interests of capital, not those of the people. CSDs have strayed from their political origins, and we see increasing commercialization. Instead of genuinely demonstrating for queer rights, today’s focus is often on parties and sales booths. Large corporations participate with expensive trucks and pay high fees to the organizers. These companies engage in “pinkwashing,” using the parade for self-promotion without actually combating discrimination. Smaller queer organizations cannot afford such trucks and are pushed out. As a result, CSD is losing its emancipatory character. The participation of right-wing populist media like “Bild” at Cologne CSD 2023 clearly shows how blatant the pinkwashing is. It is contradictory for a brightly decorated float from the Axel Springer group to participate while the publisher simultaneously provides space for right-wing conservative falsehoods about trans* and non-binary people. The police also have no place at CSDs. The Pride movement originated from the uprising against police violence at the Stonewall Inn in 1969. Just like racially discriminated and poor people, queer individuals are still particularly affected by police violence, so the police have no place at Pride! Christopher Street Day should be a place of genuine resistance and a progressive community rather than a platform for abuse of power, discrimination, pinkwashing, and commerce. Besides our criticism of the (large) CSDs, we want to emphasize that we do not fundamentally reject them and are pleased that such structures are increasingly emerging in rural areas. These need to be protected, especially from right-wing attacks, and supported as they are sometimes the only queer structures on site. However, we maintain our criticism of CSD Dresden and call on those responsible to transparently address all accusations. There must be genuine accountability instead of perpetrator protection – concrete changes must follow. Our rejection of CSD Dresden is a call to return to the true values of the Pride movement: solidarity, justice, and the relentless defense of the rights of all members of our society. We will not remain silent until these goals are achieved. Let’s ensure that every person in our society is treated with respect and dignity and that the voices of those fighting for these rights are heard! For an emancipatory Pride. For an emancipatory society!
T4T-Kollektiv
First of all, we’d like to thank you for the whole organization of the event and the opportunity to introduce ourselves. We are proud to be here and have this many supportive people around. We are ‚T4T’, a collective formed from the thought of supporting tian*, which means ‚trans, inter, agender – and non-binary people‘, mainly with financial sources gathered by hosting Küfas. We, as well as our fellows from queerpride, too engage ourselves for an antifacist and queer community, to gain conncections and build bridges amongst ourselves, for a future we admire to live in – especially since this future is nowhere to be seen as of now. We aim for a future in which people, no matter the gender, no matter the sexuality, no matter the race, no matter the ability – can act freely and based on their own decisions regarding their names, their pronouns and every other aspect linked to their being. But not only in their private lifes and circumstances but in official ones as well. No space should be left for discrimination in decisions made by governments and healt care.
This shit still happens and we are here to end it. Fuck whimbased decisions, fuck officials questioning gender and sexuality. Be your own person, stand up proudly for yourself and be as loud as you can be. Our financial support is aimed at especially those who experienced such unfair treatment as we would like our financial support to be used for medical procedures by those who receive it, other than that ‚T4T‘ acts as a collective safe space for everyone who is in need of one. Everyday life can be draining enough with people around being stuck in a system framed by binary narratives – don’t be outsmarted by the box you put yourself and others into, get back in touch with reality and inform yourself – engage (yourself), embrace (one another), encore. Now you know about us, maybe you would like to get some more informations – you can reach us via Instagram ‚@t4t_kollektiv’ where our e-mail is also linked. Stay queer, stay antifacist, unite and resist! Join the pride, enjoy the night – respect yourselves and your surroundings.
Speech “defend our freedom of assembly”
Hi there,
Some of you may know that we as Queer Pride are also part of the Network for Freedom of Assembly. This network was founded at the beginning of the year to criticize the plans for the new Saxon assembly law.
Why are we involved? Quite simply: restrictions on freedom of assembly usually happen first where there is no great sympathy from the general public. On political issues where no scandalization by the bourgeois media can be expected. They happen with climate activism, anti-Nazi actions or radical left-wing protests.
However, those restrictions also impact queer gatherings. Not in theory, but in practice. Not by isolated incidents somewhere, but in several federal states and in large, supposedly liberal cities.
Last summer, the closing rally of the CSD in Stendal was affected. It was denied the status as an assembly. The public order office also tried to do the same in Dresden for the first Pride in 2021. But we successfully fended them off.
Our position is clear: a public, visible and self-determined queer presence inherently contains a political dimension. This presence is always an act of rebellion against reactionary forces. It is actually lived resistance against all those who want to relegate sexuality, desire and gender to the private sphere – or just ban them altogether.
And that is why we will defend our freedom of assembly. Against every attempt to undermine it, against all official restrictions. Together with you in solidarity.
And that’s why we were at the state parliament on April 18 with the demo from the network and protested there. A huge “Thank you!” to everyone who was there! Although the law was not stopped, some extremely questionable aspects were amended.
Barely two weeks ago, the government factions passed the new assembly law. Instead of a serious examination of the legal criticism, there were dubious backroom deals. For example, a new paragraph was added to the Saxon Police Authorities Act at the last minute at the behest of the police.
We say: A law like this plays into the hands of authoritarian forces. It can further reduce the scope for democratic engagement after the state elections. So we must keep defending our rights!
We will see what happens with the Assembly Act after September 1st. We in the Network for Freedom of Assembly will be just as critical of its implementation in practice as we are of its course behind the curtains.
But in my speech, I would also like to revisite what we actually want for freedom of assembly in Saxony. What should actually be in this law, which now deceptively bears the “protection of freedom of assembly” in its name.
We want stewards not to be used as deputy sheriffs for the cops, but to be able to be a self-determined part of the assembly. Without age checks, ID checks and spying via government databases!
We want protection from state surveillance at assemblies, be it through video recordings or advance checks!
We want to be able to hold queer assemblies unscathed and unthreatened! In Bautzen, in Radebeul, in Pirna, in Stollberg.
As long as the threat from the right is not eradicated, we say: passive protective gear must be exempted from punishment! We cannot and will not rely on protection by the cops!
And we want to see an end to the anachronistic and unnecessary masking ban! The expression of gender and sexual freedoms at gatherings must be free, even when it comes to fetish clothing and puppy masks. Our Black Block wears stygian skin-tight latex, night-colored glitter and black polyester wigs – and rightly so!
I think it’s clear to everyone: we need real, repression-proof freedom of assembly. We will demand our basic democratic rights – now and in the future. We will take the streets defending these again and again, no matter how tough the times are!
LSVD Sachsen
Hello everyone! Dear queers and allies of all colors! I’m Thomas Haus and I represent the board of the Lesbian and Gay Association of Saxony, based in Chemnitz. Today we have come to Dresden to experience this incredibly colorful, loud and combative day together with you.
The fight for equal rights is at the heart of our commitment. We are fighting to ensure that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, origin or gender identity, have the same rights and opportunities. We fight against discrimination and exclusion, whether in society, in the workplace or in politics. With our projects “Information Center for LGBTIQ* Refugees”, “Queer in the Workplace” and “Queer Migration Work Support”, we support queer refugees with their applications to the BAMF and the immigration authorities. We offer shelters, advice and networking.
Today in particular, we want to think about those who are often in the shadows – queer refugees. They do not leave their home country of their own free will, but out of necessity. They are fleeing persecution, discrimination and violence, often with only the desire to live in safety and dignity. Their journey is characterized by fear and uncertainty, and their arrival in a new country brings new challenges. These people deserve our solidarity and our support. It is our job to give them a voice and stand up for their rights.
In many countries, there is no place for queer people, the anti-discrimination law only exists on paper and a free and self-determined life is still not possible for many. In China, the LGBTIQ* community remains highly stigmatized, the Georgian state offers no protection for queer people, in the Russian Federation the LGBTIQ* movement is classified as an extremist organization, in Iraq and Syria queer people face 10 to 15 year prison sentences, in Uganda, homosexual lifestyles are illegal and can be punished with life imprisonment, in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, homosexuality is illegal and can be punished with long prison sentences, corporal punishment and in some cases even the death penalty. And of course, these are not all the countries and examples I have listed where people have to contend with homophobia and transphobia, multiple discrimination, exclusion and violence. Even during flight and after arrival, this struggle is not over. This is precisely why we should come together, stand up for each other and fight against queer hostility at every level. This is exactly why we from LSVD Saxony want to say to you all:
Don’t give up, especially not now. Stand up against discrimination and hate speech, continue to stand for a world in which everyone can live and love safely! Where everyone has the right to be part of a better society. Unite, show solidarity, be loud and brave, fight racism and misanthropy, support each other and celebrate your queer individuality. Today and always.
Antifascista Dresden
Dear listeners, dear anti-fascists,
This speech is for all those who oppose the right-wing shift.
These words are for those who see that the state does not recognise the danger posed by neo-Nazis or even supports them.
These thoughts are for all those who stand for a life in freedom, self-determination and liberty. Who fight for this life.
This text is for all those accused in the Budapest complex. And this text is for Maja.
Maja has been in custody here in Dresden Prison since December.
Antifascist Maja is accused of attacking neo-Nazis together with other antifascists in Budapest on the so-called “Day of Honour”. This is an annual fascist march where the hard core of the extreme right-wing scene from all over Europe comes together. Fortunately, there has also been international anti-fascist resistance for years.
Maja is now facing extradition to Hungary. A country with strong autocratic tendencies and inhumane prison conditions. A country in line with the AfD’s ideal, which nurtures a climate of hatred against refugees, leftists and queer people.
The hungarian government has been working to dismantle democracy here for years. Freedom of the press is being restricted, the balance of power is being undermined and the independent judiciary in Hungary is also history under Orbán. Trials are staged here and politically left-wing prisoners are humiliated.
Germany supposedly is not allowed to extradite anyone to a country where there is even a suspicion that human dignity is being violated in prisons.
The case of the Italian anti-fascist Ilaria shows what the situation looks like in practice. She was held in a 3 square metre cell in pre-trial detention until her trial. In a letter, she reports of mice and cockroaches, humiliation and the denial of important hygiene items. She was denied any contact for seven months – even with her parents. Ilaria was presented in the courtroom handcuffed and chained. This is a clear case of prejudice and a show trial.
Moreover, Maja is non-binary. This increases the danger. The situation for queer people in Hungary is extremely critical. Their rights are constantly being restricted. For example, Hungary has passed a law which allows reporting homosexual couples anonymously to the authorities because of their sexual orientation. We fear that Maja would be discriminated against and harassed in Hungarian prison.
Therefore, not extraditing the anti-fascists to Hungary’s politicised justice system would be the just decision. A German court could investigate the allegations against Maja and the other defendants just as well.
The antifas wanted in Germany had made a proposal to the domestic authorities. They would turn themselves in and receive a fair trial in Germany. But the German authorities ignored this proposal. They would rather continue to threaten them with extradition and unsettle the left-wing scene. For them, too, deterrence apparently takes precedence over legal justice.
And so the German state is playing the game of the Hungarian judiciary. It wants to make an example of left-wing and queer people with these proceedings.
And all this while neo-Nazis are stocking up on weapons and intimidating political opponents. While in Hungary neo-Nazis continue to walk around openly in SS uniforms on the “Day of Honour”. While the comrades face up to 24 years in prison, right-wing terrorists are acquitted.
Amnesty International and the European Court of Human Rights have criticised the fact that judicial independence is being increasingly restricted in Hungary. Nevertheless, the german public prosecutor’s office still wants to extradite Maja to Hungary. For Orbán has given his generous assurance that minimum humanitarian standards will be observed.
Thanks to Ilaria’s descriptions, we know what to make of such assurances: absolutely nothing!
It is clear to us: we will do everything we can to ensure that Maja does not end up in an overcrowded prison with impossible hygiene conditions and claustrophobically small cells!
We must get organised ourselves, take action ourselves. And that also means fighting resolutely against those who attack humanity.
For us, solidarity with Maja means not being intimidated by state repression. It means organising demonstrations and doing everything we can to prevent the extradition!
What Esther Bejarano said remains true: we cannot rely on any state in our fight against fascism.
We, on the other hand, will continue to stand here. We will continue to show our solidarity because we will not give in. But it would be even better if we didn’t have to stand here, but all anti-fascists were free. And until that happens, we will stand here!
We are standing here out of friendship with all anti-fascists in custody. But we are also standing here out of enmity against all political justice! Together with numerous other organisations, we as Antifascista Dresden have signed the call for “No-Extradition”. You can find more information on the Budapest complex at www.wirsindallelinx.org/noextradition and at www.basc.news
Find out more about the proceedings and show your solidarity! Because this way they will never break us! Alerta!
Message for #freeMaja
Hello to all of you dear queer friends, comrades and allies.
You all look beautiful and I am delighted that we are taking to the streets together today, glittering and empowering. But not everyone can join in the celebrations today! Because we are not all, the prisoners are missing! I don’t need to tell you that the society we live in is full of discrimination and rejection towards queer people. And that this stigmatization pushes people into poverty, precarious job situations or homelessness. And that this exposes them to more repression and often to prison. Once in prison, you are at the mercy of a binary system with even more violence.
But people also end up in prison because they are politically active! And that’s what happened to Maja. Maja is a non-binary anti-fascist in their early 20s and is currently in prison here in Dresden. Maja is accused of taking part in attacks against neo-Nazis in Budapest, Hungary, together with other anti-fascists. There is an annual neo-Nazi event in Budapest where the Waffen SS and the Wehrmacht are celebrated, glorifying National Socialism. Another anti-fascist, Hanna, is also in prison in Nuremberg because of this.
Now Maja is in extradition custody! Exactly, Maja is to be extradited to Hungary, to a queer-hostile and authoritarian state. Yesterday we visited Maja together and sent our greetings over the prison walls, also in the name of the Pride, so that Maja knows that the queer community is also standing behind Maja. Because in times like these it is important that we all stick together! In this sense: Queers and Antifascists – unite and resist! Being anti-fascist is not an option, it’s a necessity!
Gewaltschutzzentrum
We can’t change the wind, but we can set the sails differently.
Under this guiding principle, the Violence Protection Centre advises around 1000 victims of domestic violence and stalking every year. It advises people of all genders, age groups, nationalities, religions, degrees of disability and German language skills.
The objectives are:
- the end of violence
- Protection
- Strengthening one’s own self-worth, ability to act and autonomy
- Building a self-determined life
Why doesn’t the person affected by violence simply separate?
Often, those affected are woven into a system of dependency for years, from which it is hardly possible for them to free themselves on their own.
This is where the Violence Protection Centre lends a helping hand.
We work in a partisan manner for those affected. This means that we encourage those affected in their ability to act and self-determination, and at the same time that responsibility for the acts of violence is clearly attributed to the perpetrators.
Pack fights, pack gets along?
No! With this sentence, it is easy to open a drawer into which people are pushed. If you close the drawer, the problem is not visible.
We want to open our eyes and shed light on the dark field of domestic violence.
People of different income classes, levels of education and migration experiences are affected by domestic violence. By no means only foreigners or non-academics. The Violence Protection Centre clearly positions itself against any form of discrimination.
It’s none of my business
Intimate partner violence is often presented as a private problem, as a relationship problem that must also be solved within the relationship. However, domestic violence is not a private matter. Domestic violence is a problem for society as a whole.
In Germany, one in 4 women is affected by physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the course of her life. People of all social and economic positions, all origins, religions and levels of education are victims of domestic violence.
In order to be able to continue to support adults and their children affected by patriarchal violence on their way to a safe, self-determined life, we demand:
- a dynamic expansion of counselling capacities according to the number of people seeking help
- More places in women’s shelters
- Affordable housing in Dresden
- Violence-sensitive standards in family court proceedings
We demand the full implementation of and compliance with the Istanbul Convention!
QUARTEERA
Hello, I am X and I am here today to represent Quarteera Saxony, a regional subdivision of Quarteera e.V., which is a community of queer people who speak Russian, as well as German, English and other languages.
Our meetings are aimed mainly at creating a welcoming place for queer people, and we often get together to watch movies, go hiking, or cook together. However, we welcome all people who support queer rights and want to participate in our activities. Please come and join us.
We also engage in activism. We offer various workshops, primarily to educate ourselves, to get to know anti-racist and feminist perspectives and, ideally, to reflect on our own attitudes.
Through our actions we spotlight the situation of queer people in Russia, and in the future we hope to expand this to a wider Post Ost/”post eastern bloc”, to blur the current imperialist focus. We are against Putin’s regime and against Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
We are in favor of refugee admission programs for queer people from abroad. In 2023, mainly due to the tightening of laws that classify the so-called “international LGBT movement” as extremist and the deprivation of rights for trans people in Russia, we joined the Germany wide campaign by creating the Quarteera petition and called for the admission of queer people from Russia. Unfortunately, there are countless other places in the world where queer people are in danger and such a program would allow them to come to safety and enjoy freedoms that every person is entitled to regardless of their sex, gender, nation, age, health and other traits.
We demand queer-friendly accommodation for queer refugees, their rapid redistribution to the municipalities and quick and humane processing of applications by the BAMF and the immigration authorities.
As an example, one member of our group has recently arrived to the initial reception center and was housed there with people from the same country of origin. However, due to opinions that were expressed in their presence and the general demeanour of their roommates, this person feared for their safety if their queer identity became known to their roommates. After coming out to their social worker, this person was relocated to another initial reception center.
This is just one of many examples showcasing that the safety of queer refugees should be the focus of your and our attention.
Together we stand for safety, freedom and peace.
tian* network Dresden
We exist. That’s a fact.
We exist and yet society doesn’t care. It’s always “m/f/d” until people criticize the fact that there are no gender-neutral toilet. It is always said that diversity is important until a non-binary person says that the person doesn’t want to be addressed with the pronoun he or she. We are told that we don’t suffer enough to get paid for surgeries that are vital for some of us. And anyway, what is ENOUGH suffering?
You are annoyed with us, saying that we are imposing an ideology on your children. You shouldn’t get anything from us. But we are here. Our existence seems to be a threat. I see our existence threatened, because even with the Self-Determination Act, which is supposed to make it easier to officially change your name and gender, discrimination has not been abolished.
Especially people who experience multiple jeopardy suffer massively. This pain cannot simply be be erased. We can’t just pretend that everything is great, because it’s not. We still have a long way to go and that’s why we don’t just want to simply celebrate ourselves today.
We commemorate all trans*, inter*, agender and non-binary people who cannot stand here today because of experiences of trans-hostile violence. For them and for all other TIAN* (trans, inter, agender, non-binary) people it is worth fighting for. We are the TIAN* Network Dresden and we invite you to the nonbinary day rally on 14.07. at the Jorge-Gomondai-Platz. Show your solidarity and come along.