CSD 2021 Innsbruck – “Let’s build Inn’s #bridges”

22 August 2021

Post originally written in: Deutsch

Innsbruck is colorful, Innsbruck is queer - under the motto "Let's INN's #BridgeBuilding" the CSD 2021 took place again, after it unfortunately had to be cancelled last year due to corona.

Normally June is Pride month, but there was unfortunately no big party possible this year. However, we were very pleased that the event could be held late. We simply celebrated Christopher Street Day on a sunny summer weekend in August. And there were some very pleasant innovations, for example the central location. The celebration took place on the square in front of the Hofburg and the Landestheater between imperial buildings and modern architecture. For the first time the route of the parade led along the Herzog-Otto-Ufer and directly past the old town: Pride in the heart of Innsbruck - a visible sign of tolerance and appreciation.

THE PARADE

After a speech by Mayor Georg Willi, the CSD parade started to move. From the Landestheater and the Hofburg it went past the Congress down to the Herzog-Otto-Ufer. The backdrop with the Nordkette in the background could not be more beautiful for the colorful procession. In the lead, chairman Markus Möller of the HOSI Tirol, waving the rainbow flag, followed by numerous drag queens and people of all ages. Dancing to good music, but always keeping their distance, there was an exuberant atmosphere. Spectators on the side of the road waved and parade participants waved back. General #goodvibes.

Two brightly coloured rainbow zebra stripes adorn the street: this made the parade stop briefly in Maria-Theresien-Straße. A welcome break for the ladies in heels, who completed the entire parade with an extra dose of style and fashion sense. Incidentally, the rainbow zebra stripes are brand new in 2021: they were implemented this year after the project was unanimously approved by all parties in the city government. As a thank you, there was frenetic cheering from the parade participants and spectators. A beautiful sign!

Via Museumstraße and Boznerplatz we continued towards Landhausplatz, the seat of the Tyrolean provincial government. Triumphpforte, Maria-Theresien-Straße, Anichstraße and Adolf-Pichler-Platz were the next stops. Again and again short speeches were held before the parade over the market place back along the Inn at the Landestheater ended with big applause.

Such a parade is quite exhausting, especially in heels. That's why there were drinks and snacks for the parade participants at the final stop. The many helpers at the food stalls provided the thirsty participants with top service.

WHAT IS THE CSD?

CSD - or Christopher Street Day - is a commemoration of an event that took place in New York in the late 1960s. On June 28, 1968, an uprising of homosexuals and other sexual minorities took place against the persecution and police arbitrariness there. A year later, a commemorative parade was held for the first time to mark the event, and this tradition expanded worldwide. Every year in June, a demonstration is held in remembrance and for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Christopher Street Day is often referred to as Gay Pride.

Warning: explicit content. The ladies don't mince their words 😉

FOR A TOLERANT SOCIETY

People of the LGBTQ community are still often disadvantaged, bullied and persecuted. Christopher Street Day is all the more important to set a clear signal that this community is among us and also part of our modern society. Innsbruck presents itself as a very open and LGBT friendly city. In addition to the two rainbow zebra stripes in the centre of Innsbruck, many bridges in Innsbruck will be flagged with the rainbow flag during Pride month in June. Numerous rainbow benches make the city colourful. The CSD is organized by the Homosexual Initiative Tyrol, HOSI Tyrol for short.

LGBT SPIRIT IN INNSBRUCK

I was already at some CSD festivities, also in Innsbruck. This year the spirit, the openness and also the atmosphere was especially nice. The afterparties in the LGBT-friendly bars of the city were exuberant and cheerful. See you again next year, at Christopher Street Day 2022. You can see some impressions and voices in the attached video.