Queer people demonstrate in Allerpark

Under the motto “Be Yourself!”, queer people in Verden are taking to the streets this Sunday evening, September 7th. It is the first Christopher Street Day (CSD) in the Allerstadt.

While Pride parades take place regularly in many big cities, demonstrations for the visibility of trans and intersex people, bisexuals and asexuals, as well as gays and lesbians, are still a rarity in rural areas. But it is particularly important to show presence in rural areas, says Noa Baumann, who is part of the parade’s organizing team. While people in the big cities can mostly live openly as they want, this is less often the case elsewhere. “You’re gay” is still a common swear word in many schools, and discrimination against people who do not conform to the norm is commonplace in many places.

More visibility

For the organizing team, it is a key concern to give more visibility to the many queer people who often live in isolated villages in the Verden district and the surrounding area. But they are also concerned with raising awareness. “Many have completely unrealistic ideas, for example on the subject of transgender – or simply take out their frustration about their own lives on minorities like us,” criticizes the CSD team. For many, this is easier than building understanding for other people and taking on their own responsibility.

“I experience so much hatred towards us from people who have never seriously dealt with the issue,” says Baumann. Too few people treat each other with respect and appreciation. That has to change.

Inspiration from Hanover

“The idea for the CSD had been floating around in Verden groups for a while,” says Baumann. After visiting the CSD in Hanover, he and his fellow campaigners decided to launch a similar event in their hometown. Interested schoolmates and older people quickly joined the group. The plans spread quickly, not least via the platforms Instagram and Tik Tok, and received a lot of support from the organization and other groups. People from other districts also announced their attendance there.

“Everyone who wants to support us is welcome,” says the organization team’s appeal. They are currently looking for stewards and people who want to get involved in the awareness team during the demonstration. The volunteers are intended to offer help to those affected by transgressive or discriminatory behavior and to contribute to a feeling of security.

Increased agitation

The rise of the AfD, on the other hand, is causing a feeling of insecurity in the everyday lives of many queer people. “The AfD is a party that incites hatred,” criticizes Baumann. There are repeated attacks on people who do not conform to the worldview of the party, which is in some parts considered to be firmly right-wing extremist.

The young people who initiated the Verden CSD feel that politicians are not taking them seriously enough. One of their criticisms is that there is not a single counseling center for queer people and their families in the entire Verden district. Even in schools and companies, hardly anything is being done to promote respect and understanding towards queer people.

“In their personal environment, queer people have had it just as hard,” says Neumann. For example, young people in particular quickly dismiss their sexual orientation as “just a phase.” Young people are often not taken seriously here either. That has to change. The CSD is intended to give them visibility, but also to show that they cannot be alone with their feelings and worries. “It is the fight to no longer have to be afraid,” says the organization team in its appeal.

Rally in Allerpark

The demo begins at 2 p.m. with a rally in the Allerpark. From there, the participants will move along the Reeperbahn into the pedestrian zone and continue towards the Nordertorkreisel. The route runs in a large arc over Johanniswall, Lindhooper Straße and Borsteler Weg via Am Alten Pulverschuppen and Ysostraße towards the city center. Back in the Allerpark, the stage is open for musicians, poetry slammers and other creative people who want to present themselves there. The demo is scheduled to end around 5 p.m.

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