This is how Munich Pride will look like this year!

On 22/23 June, the queer community will once again take to the streets for equal rights and acceptance. This year, however, the Pride organisers are pursuing another goal: protesting against our society's shift to the right.

Munich, 5 June 2024 - The European elections are coming up, as are some important state elections in autumn, not to mention the presidential elections in the USA. Plus the wars in Ukraine and Israel!

This year could be a test for our Western democracies. At the latest since the revelations of the Correctiv research team, everyone should know: The danger comes from the right!

 

For democracy and freedom

With the motto "United in diversity - together against the right", this year's Pride in Munich is positioning itself very clearly in favour of democracy and freedom. The organisers are calling on everyone to take a visible stand for this mission on the Pride weekend from 22 to 23 June at the latest. But you can also do it earlier: PrideWeeks begin on 8 June.

Dominik Krause, Second Mayor of Munich, is looking forward to it - especially the Pride Parade. "It will be the first time that I accompany the parade as mayor together with our patron, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter. In fact, it's the first time that a gay mayor of Munich has been allowed to walk at the front of the Pride Parade."

But there were also other feelings mixed in with this joy. Krause alludes to anti-queer debates and the tense social atmosphere. As a vulnerable group, queer people immediately sense when life and freedom are threatened.

That is why it is so important to stand together, both with civil society and within the community, says Thomas Niederbühl, Rosa Liste city councillor and political spokesperson for CSD Munich. "Every attack on a part of our community is an attack on our queer community as a whole and therefore on each and every one of us." For this reason, Munich is also showing solidarity with the queer community in its twin cities of Kyiv and Be'er Sheva.

 

Socio-political climate leads to violence against LGBTIQ* people

As statistics from the Bavaria-wide specialist centre Strong! against discrimination and violence show, the danger is real. Attacks against LGBTIQ* are on the rise, or at least becoming more visible.

Accordingly, Strong! reported 230 incidents in 2023 - that's 71 more than in the previous year. The number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher: We're talking of insults, threats, discrimination, but also physical attacks.

"Right-wing propaganda tries to categorise people and propagate a supposed norm that is considered the only valid one," says Julia Bomsdorf, spokesperson for LesCommunity, one of five associations that organise Munich Pride. "We categorically reject that!" Because democracy, adds Katja Foerderer, Bomsdorf's colleague from the Lesbian and Queer Centre LeZ, includes "the free development and self-determination of every person."

 

Insults and pepper spray

Stephan Platek experienced this first-hand last year. The activist from the fetish scene, who made it onto the cover of PrideGuide in 2023 with "The Ladies and the Tramps", was out with friends at the Pride when someone recognised him, called him a "faggot" and then attacked him with pepper spray.

Despite the shock, Platek decided not to back down. On the contrary: he stood for election as Bavarian Mr Leather 2024 in March and won. "I want to use the mandate to bring the community together and celebrate social diversity. We have to stand up to those who want to restrict our freedom."

The Bavarian Mr Leather - the title was once created by the Münchner Löwen-Club MLC - not only represents the fetish scene in Bavaria, but also the concerns of the entire LGBTIQ* community in Germany and across Europe. The office holders therefore travel a lot as ambassadors.

 

Study: Germany is (still) tolerant towards LGBTIQ*

What Stephan Platek experienced is not an isolated incident. Last year, there were a number of homophobic and trans*-hostile incidents around the Bavarian Pride events, as reported by Strong!

Acceptance of queer lifestyles in Germany has actually increased slightly in recent years, according to a recent study by the market and opinion research institute Ipsos ("LGBT+ Pride 2024"). For example, 47 per cent of the respondents say that lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans* and inter* people should be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity. 71 per cent support marriage for all and 73 per cent are in favour of adoption rights for same-sex couples.

Looking at the results in an international comparison, however, it is not certain that this will remain the case. "Support for LGBTIQ* is declining worldwide, for example in the USA, the UK, Canada and the Netherlands," says Dr Markus Eberl, Chief Analytics Officer at Ipsos in Munich.

In an international comparative study, the institute also found that there is great potential for populism in Germany. If right-wing parties were to benefit from this mood, it would be a dangerous development for LGBTIQ*. As a minority, they are the first to suffer under populist governments, as experience in Poland and Hungary has shown.

Another warning signal: on average worldwide, acceptance of LGBTIQ* is lower among Generation Z men than among millennials of their gender, while young women are apparently becoming more tolerant from generation to generation.

 

PrideWeeks with over 100 events

Munich Pride wants to draw attention to these challenges this year, the fight against the right, the struggle for equal rights and acceptance, when PrideWeeks begin on 8 June. Munich Pride sees itself as a platform for all queer people, LGBTIQ* organisations and allies who are celebrating diversity during this time.

From 8 to 23 June, Munich's community invites you to exhibitions, sport, cinema, poetry slams, guided tours, concerts, drag shows, church services, parties and much MORE

 

Pride Parade on a new route

The highlight of the two PrideWeeks is the Pride Parade on 22 June, when thousands of people march from Mariahilfplatz through the queer district and along the Altstadtring past Sendlinger Tor and Stachus to Maximiliansplatz to make their demands visible.

Due to its size, the demonstration no longer runs through the narrow streets of the Gärtnerplatz district, unfortunately, but at 3.7 kilometres, the route is slightly longer than last year. Exactly 209 groups have registered. MORE

 

PartyArea new at Odeonsplatz

North of the Feldherrenhalle, the Pride is growing further into the city: in addition to a new, third stage on Wittelsbacherplatz, the PartyArea is also getting a new location. In future, dancing will take place at Odeonsplatz - for two days. More dance floor for everyone! MORE

 

Street festival with more culture

The stage on Wittelsbacherplatz complements the programmes of the Main Stage on Marienplatz with its queer live acts and the talks on the Community Stage in Kaufinger Straße with electronic music and contributions from Munich's drag scene - but only on Saturday. This makes the shows even more diverse. MORE

 

50 years of MLC - festival at the Rindermarkt

The Rindermarkt is back. What Munich Pride used once as a party area is this year providing space for the Münchner Löwen-Club MLC, Europe's largest gay fetish club, to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Munich Pride has given the Rindermarkt to the club on a one-off basis to mark the occasion. The MLC is now organising two days of shows, games, discussions, culture and parties. Many other queer fetish groups have been invited and have confirmed their attendance. MORE

 

Rainbow FamiliesArea

What remains in a familiar spot is the RegenbogenfamilienArea. It has been part of Munich Pride for over ten years now. On Frauenplatz in front of the cathedral, there will be entertainment for the kids on Saturday and a breather for parents if they need it, with plenty of opportunities for information and dialogue. MORE

 

Street festival with more information stands and inclusion tent

The two-day street festival brings all the action in the city centre together with the three stage programmes, food and information stands. More groups, organisations and associations have registered for the latter than ever before. The organisers currently have 87 participants in Kaufingerstraße, Rosenstraße, Weinstraße, Theatinerstraße and Rindermarkt. MORE

Our awareness team and - for the first time - an inclusion team at the Pride's central meeting point are making sure that everyone has a good time on site.

 

RathausClubbing

Last but not least, Munich Pride is also celebrating a small anniversary this year. The party in the town hall will take place for the 20th time this year on 22 June. Different floors with music styles for all tastes await you on three floors: House, Techno, Classic Pop, Ballroom, Schlager, all-time favourites and a FLINTA* Power Floor by the Wut Kollektiv. MORE

 

Live Stream

Pride fans who can't make it to the city centre will be able to watch all of this live and in colour on their screens on Saturday (and afterwards on our Pride channel on YouTube). The camera team will welcome the Pride March participants at the new Live Stream spot at Müllerstraße 26 in front of the LeZ. Later, they will head to the street festival on Marienplatz. The contributions will be supplemented by live broadcasts to the main stage. MORE

 

"We hope for a politically empowering, diverse and above all peaceful Pride," says Alexander Kluge, Managing Director of Munich Pride. "We hope that the entire colourful and queer-solidary urban society will rally behind our motto and that we will stand up together for democracy and freedom."

 

LGBTIQ* people have been demonstrating for equal rights and acceptance in Munich for more than 40 years. The largest community event in southern Germany, which is supported by the lesbian-queer association LesCommunity, the gay-queer centre Sub, Münchner Aids-Hilfe, the voters' initiative Rosa Liste and the youth organisation diversity München, hosts more than 100 events during two Pride Weeks. Highlights include the PolitParade, the two-day street festival around Marienplatz and the RathausClubbing party event.

 

Contact:
Conrad Breyer
Press Officer
01701859705
conrad@csdmuenchen.de