Vibrant Display of LGBTQ+ Pride in Bautzen: A Spectacle of Colors
In the heart of Saxony, the third Bautzen Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade took place on a sunny afternoon, with over 4,300 participants rallying for visibility, diversity, and real equality. However, the current status of mobilization by the extreme right against queer events in Germany has created an atmosphere of tension, as seen in the events of the past CSD in Bautzen and other cities.
Jonas Loeschau, the organizer of the Bautzen CSD, addressed the crowd of 3,000 people, speaking of the importance of unity and resistance in the face of growing extremist activity. Georgine Kellermann, a journalist and trans activist, also spoke at an interim rally in Bautzen, echoing Loeschau's sentiments.
The Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the right-wing scene's actions in Bautzen as a "worrying breakthrough." The second CSD in Bautzen was followed by around 700 neo-Nazis, leading to verbal threats, physical attacks, and the cancellation of the closing event due to security concerns. The district had restricted the right to assembly and banned the wearing of black, uniform clothing that could have an intimidating effect.
In a show of solidarity, Karsten Vogt, the mayor of Bautzen, called for tolerance towards different lifestyles, religions, and nationalities. Ines Schwerdtner, Anja Eichhorn, and Marco Böhme, the federal and state leaders of The Left in Saxony, also participated in the event. Sophie Koch, SPD politician and queer commissioner of the federal government, also spoke at the interim rally in Bautzen.
The "Omas gegen Rechts Leipzig" stated that the people in the eastern Saxon city had experienced "a lot of solidarity and power" that afternoon. The protest in Leipzig, organized by "Omas gegen Rechts," ended prematurely, making it the largest anti-CSD protest of the season so far. The organizers in Bautzen looked back on a successful afternoon for the third Bautzen CSD, expecting with "near certainty" that there would be verbal and possibly physical confrontations at this year's event.
However, the third Bautzen CSD turned into a successful party without the feared confrontation. The police estimated around 2,000 participants at the event, and the "Omas gegen Rechts Leipzig" hoped that the people there would "store and keep a lot of it in their hearts."
The increased mobilization by the extreme right against queer events, particularly CSD parades, is a concerning trend in Germany, especially in rural and smaller urban settings. This has led to an atmosphere of tension and increased calls for protection and political resistance during 2025 Pride activities. The 2025 Berlin CSD parade, which drew hundreds of thousands, highlighted concerns about the rising homophobic attacks and extremist mobilization in smaller German cities and rural areas.
Politically, the extreme right's influence has been evident in institutional decisions such as the ban on flying the rainbow flag above the Bundestag on CSD day and the exclusion of the Bundestag’s Queer Network from officially participating in CSD as a political group. These actions reflect the administrative pushback against LGBTQ+ visibility, emboldened by the broader right-wing cultural struggle.
In summary, the extreme right scene in Germany is actively mobilizing against queer events, with a particular impact on CSD parades in rural and smaller urban settings, resulting in an atmosphere of tension and increased calls for protection and political resistance during 2025 Pride activities. It is crucial that events like the Bautzen CSD continue to promote unity, visibility, and resistance in the face of adversity.
- The organizer of the Bautzen CSD emphasized the importance of unity and resistance against growing extremist activity.
- Georgine Kellermann, a journalist and trans activist, echoed Loeschau's sentiments about the need for resistance at the interim rally in Bautzen.
- The Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution expressed concern about the right-wing scene's actions in Bautzen, describing them as a "worrying breakthrough."
- The increased mobilization by the extreme right against queer events, particularly CSD parades, has led to an atmosphere of tension and increased calls for protection and political resistance during 2025 Pride activities.
- It is essential that events like the Bautzen CSD continue to promote unity, visibility, and resistance in the face of adversity, especially in light of the extreme right's influence and institutional decisions that reflect pushback against LGBTQ+ visibility.
