Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s social minister, Stefanie Drese, voiced the state government’s solidarity with participants at Christopher Street Day in Neustrelitz. The administration stands with the LGBTQ+ community, the SPD politician said. “Tolerance and equality are not merely polite requests. They are values we, as policymakers and as a state, must defend with resolve.”
Three weeks after the deadly attack on the Berlin CSD, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in Neustrelitz, sent a clear, forceful message in favor of freedom, diversity, and a self-determined life, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced. “This CSD is not only a day of remembrance and demonstration, but also a symbol of our freedom and an expression of our determination and solidarity,” Drese stated.
Drese underscored that the attack resonates far beyond Berlin. “Today, those who live openly as queer do not enjoy safe conditions everywhere.” Torn rainbow flags, assaults on queer institutions, and CSD events under heavy police protection are not isolated incidents. The Berlin attack starkly demonstrated that escalation can reach a new dimension.
Drese said she had great respect for everyone who nonetheless came to Neustrelitz. “That shows: We do not concede ground. We will not give extremists, radicals, or people who want to destroy our liberal society any space. We will not allow our free life or our love to be taken from us.”
