The Berlin Pride Celebration, also known as Christopher Street Day Berlin,[1] or CSD Berlin,[2] is a pride parade and festival held in the second half of July each year in Berlin, Germany to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people and their allies. Since 1979, the event has been held each year. Berlin Pride is one of the largest gay and lesbian organized events in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe. Its aim is to demonstrate for equal rights and equal treatment for LGBT people, as well as celebrate the pride in Gay and Lesbian Culture.
History
The CSD is held in memory of the Stonewall Riots, the first big uprising of LGBTQ people against police assaults on June 27, 1969. These took place in Christopher Street, in the neighborhood of Greenwich Village in New York City, New York.[3]
The first CSD in Berlin took place on June 30, 1979, and since then has taken place every year.[4][5] In 2012, around 700,000 people attended the CSD Parade, and 500,000 people were present at the final parade location at the Brandenburg Gate, making it into one of the largest events in Berlin as well as one of the largest Pride Events in the world.
CSD Berlin 2004
Berlin Pride 2006
CSD Berlin 2008
CSD Berlin 2011
Mottoes and Attendance at CSD Berlin
In the early years, the Berlin CSD was a relatively small event. From 400 participants in 1979, the number slowly grew to 5,000 people in 1989. It was only from the mid-1990s that the Berlin CSD gave itself an annual motto.
The number of participants and mottos from 1990:[6]
Year
Participants
Floats
Motto (in German)
1990
15,000
?
1991
10,000
?
1992
25,000
?
1993
30,000
?
Vielfalt und Schwesterlichkeit, Solidarität über alle Grenzen
1994
35,000
?
We are family!
1995
40,000
?
1996
50,000
60
(No specific motto, it just had "CSD '96" as its motto)
1997
120,000
?
Andersrum muss gerechnet werden
1998
300,000
?
Für eine andere Politik – wir fordern gleiche Rechte
1999
350,000
78
Dreißig Jahre Stonewall
2000
500,000
81
Unsere Vielfalt zieht an
2001
500,000
89
Berlin stellt sich qu(e)er gegen rechts
2002
550,000
89
Wir machen Berlin anders! Weltoffen, tolerant queer!
2003
600,000
59
Akzeptanz statt Toleranz
2004
450,000
71
Homokulturell – Multisexuell – Heterogen!
2005
400,000
58
Unser Europa gestalten wir!
2006
450,000
52
Verschiedenheit und Recht und Freiheit
2007
450,000
66
Vielfalt sucht Arbeit
2008
500,000
48
Hass du was dagegen?
2009
550,000
51
Stück für Stück ins Homo-Glück – Alle Rechte für alle!
2010
600,000
52
Normal ist anders!
2011
700,000
52
Fairplay für Vielfalt!
2012
700,000
46
Wissen schafft Akzeptanz
2013
750,000
50
Schluss mit Sonntagsreden! Demonstrieren! Wählen! Verändern!
Be their voice - and ours! ... für mehr Empathie und Solidarität!
Pictures from past events
CSD Berlin 1997
CSD Berlin 2004
Berlin Pride 2006
CSD Berlin 2008
CSD Berlin 2012
Events
CSD Berlin comprises several events, taking place within the framework of the month-long Pride Festival, usually starting at the end of May. Pride Week is the final week of the festival, ending with the CSD Parade. The CSD Gala has been taking place since 2011, and is organised in co-operation with the Friedrichstadt Show Palace.
In the same month both Kreuzberg Pride and Gay Night at the Zoo are held. More gay festivals in Berlin include Easter Berlin.
Organization
All CSD events are organised by the Berliner CSD e.V. (Berlin LGBT Pride Association). The organization was formed at the end of 1999. The association was meant to relieve the three previous coordinators: the "Sonntags-Club", "LSVD" and "Mann-o-Meter", who had been organizing the "CSD Berlin" from 1994 to 1999.[21]
Each year, the theme, motto and political demands of the CSD Parade are determined in so-called Pride Forums. These are open meetings that can be attended by anyone.
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