For the third time in a row, a feminist demonstration took place in Dresden on Walpurgis Night (30th of April). In several other cities too, people took to the streets to protest against patriarchal violence and oppression. addn.me has published a nice report on the event in german.
Alongside e*vibes, the “no Rammstein in Berlin” campaign and the AKD (Antifascist Collective Dresden), we also took part with a speech. You can read it here.
Dear FLINTA, dear allies, dear feminists who are on the streets today!
Make some noise for yourselves and for the people who have organized this “Take Back The Night” today!
I’m here today to speak on behalf of Queer Pride Dresden, and I think I can say that the spirit of both events is very similar, which is why I’m taking the space here today to also talk about our Pride.
Maybe one of the differences is that Queer Pride is not just an annual event. We have been around for four years as a left-wing, emancipatory Pride in Dresden and as a now vast network of people, events and queer politics in Saxony and beyond. Four years of loud, colorful, angry, determined, sexy, tender, combative, queer voices from Dresden! This year on June 22, all these voices will gather again, and this time we are calling all queers and allies to take to the streets for a joint queer and explicitly anti-fascist Pride. I am being honest with you underlining that our very existence as Pride is already a stand against a certain bourgeoisified, commercialized and politically questionable other queer demo in this city that still perpetuates white cis-male power positions and that never dealt with reports of violence and abuse in its own rows. But I am not using my time to get into details about things that should already be history. What makes us different, is the emancipatory self- understanding, and this year the even more clearly antofascist stance.
And we have chosen a motto that would also fit tonight:
QUEER AND ANTIFASCIST – unite and resist!
Being queer and being antifascist – it’s one thing to us!
Queerness isn’t simply a collection of letters, not just lesbians, bisexuals, gays, intersex and transgender people. It means to live and think queerly. It means to ruffle the feathers of normative structures. It is a way to question society’s status quo. Because declaring heterosexuality as the norm is an old hat. Seeing the nuclear family with mom and dad as the only possible constellation is as stale as the bread from last week. The world being made of just two colours, black and white, man and woman – is a fairytale we are no longer willing to entertain.
Our goal is far greater: a world where all can live safely! A world where nobody is forced into strict notions of gender. A world where we can love whomever and however we please. Where we can live wherever we want and get the support we need. Where everyone has the right of being part of a better society. Where solidarity rules above all and no one is left behind. Where society isn’t segregated by class and we learn from our history. For us all to become part of an empowering society, where every single one can shine bright.
And anti-fascism isn’t just a nice word. Or simply the history of past social movements. It’s an answer and a self description. It is an answer to the increasing preaching of hate. The only possible reaction to the dangerous machinations of nazist and fascist merchants of hatred. Anti-fascism is prerequisite to the world we are dreaming of.
This world is threatened, because our bodies and lives, too, are threatened. Because the hatred and incitement of nazis is taking hold in parliaments, in the media, and on our streets.
Right-wing ideology does not leave breathing room for a world beyond chauvinist masculinity and racism.
Being queer and being antifascist – it is one thing to us! It is one struggle.
So we say: ‘Unite!’ – band together! Alone and isolated we won’t be able to fight everyday queerphobia, excessive rents, exploitation at work, evictions and deportations. A singular voice will not succeed in pushing nazis out of parliaments and the streets, but with a great many we will! And we here in Saxony know that. We know how it feels to be surrounded by right-wing agitation and violence every day in Dresden. But we also know how it feels to cut off Europe’s largest neo-Nazi march, to intervene in reactionary commemorative policies and we know how it can feel to send a strong, loud, queer signal at least once a year.
So we say: ‘Resist!’ – act in opposition to this state of things. Stand in solidarity with your colleague of colour. Occupy, strike, blockade deportations and nazi rallies. Read up, sharpen your critical thinking, start acting. Show solidarity and join together. It’s the only way our dream will come true.
So we say: JOIN OUR FIGHT – JOIN THE PRIDE!
And also QUEERs AND ANTIFASCISTs – unite and resist!