CSD Demonstration 2026

CSD Pride: Then and Now—We’re Flying the Flag

On July 5, we’ll be colorful, flashy, and loud. 
So we can be seen and heard!
In Cologne, Germany, and around the world! 
Be There 

ColognePride 2026—and especially our parade—are more important than ever this year.

There’s an incredible amount going on in the world—conflicts, wars, unrest, and political instability all around us. Crises often lead to the restriction of minority rights, or at least put them to the test. And although we’re still relatively unaware of this in Germany, the situation around us is becoming increasingly volatile and threatening. Totalitarian regimes—or those well on their way to becoming so—are actively curtailing the rights of the LGBTQI community. Trans people, in particular, are facing increasingly severe harassment. In the United States, for example, only the sex assigned at birth is now recognized. Transgender people are no longer welcome in the military, and schools are no longer allowed to provide sex education that addresses more than two genders. But above all, cutting funding for counseling centers for transgender youth has catastrophic consequences for these young people. Exclusion, bullying, and suicide among (trans) youth have risen sharply in recent years!

In Germany, the Self-Determination Act, which went into effect in 2024, is under attack. People are using flimsy arguments to try to amend the law and introduce a so-called “trans register.” It should be common knowledge what such a register could lead to in the worst-case scenario. And that makes me wonder: Why would a conservative party—which prefers to sweep LGBTQI issues under the rug (“don’t ask, don’t tell”) and tells us we should live out our sexuality at home and not in public—suddenly take such an interest in our sexuality?

Fortunately, there are also (small) rays of hope. Hungary received a clear rejection from the European Court of Justice for its LGBTQI law, which is essentially a copy of the Russian law “on the protection of youth from depictions of sexuality that deviate from the heterosexual norm.” However, we can only hope that the newly elected president will bring about a better situation for LGBTQI people in Hungary.

This year, it’s up to us to show solidarity—solidarity with the people who cannot demonstrate because doing so would mean certain arrest or even death. But we must also stand up for our community in Germany. The situation in Central and Eastern Germany demands our attention. We must support our community and fight vehemently against violence and discrimination against LGBTQI people.