The actor and comedian Hape Kerkeling called for defending the rights of queer people during Leipzig’s Christopher Street Day (CSD). “We can feel the wind growing colder,” he said in a video message ahead of the Leipzig CSD rally on Saturday, amid attacks by far-right groups on CSD events. “But we will not go back into invisibility,” added the openly gay TV star, who had been an ambassador for Leipzig’s CSD.
It is the “duty of society as a whole” to stand up for freedom, Kerkeling said. “Democracy proves itself by how resolutely it protects minorities,” he added. He pointed to the large demonstrations against the SED regime in Leipzig in 1989. “Freedom is like a garden—you must tend it, nurture it, and sometimes defend it against weeds,” he said.
At this year’s CSD in Leipzig, around 23,000 people took to the streets to advocate for queer rights. With rainbow flags, banners, and brightly decorated floats, participants marched through the city center. The organizers reported that the demonstration proceeded without notable incidents.
“Twenty thousand people have shown that queer life is an integral part of Leipzig. That is a strong, peaceful message of diversity, acceptance, and human rights,” said Jasmin Gräwel, the CSD spokesperson. “Leipzig stands for diversity, and we, as queer people, will not be pushed out. For us, the rule remains: no rest, no retreat—queer rights, piece by piece!”
