CSD in Neustrelitz: Minister Drese Vows to Defend Freedom and Equality

Social Affairs Minister Stefanie Drese underscored the state government's solidarity with participants at the Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Neustrelitz, affirming that the government stands with the LGBTQ+ community. Drese, a member of the SPD party, declared that tolerance and equality are not polite requests but fundamental values that politicians and the state must resolutely defend.

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Tolerance and equality are not friendly requests. They are values that we as politics, as a state, must resolutely defend.

Three weeks after a fatal attack at the Berlin CSD, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sent a strong message for freedom, diversity, and self-determined living in Neustrelitz. The Ministry of Social Affairs stated that this CSD served not only as a day of remembrance and demonstration but also as a symbol of freedom and an expression of determination and solidarity.

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This CSD is today not only a day of remembrance and demonstration, but also a symbol of our freedom and an expression of our determination and solidarity.

Drese noted that the attack on the Berlin CSD, which occurred on July 25 and resulted in one death and 31 injuries when a vehicle drove into a crowd, has had repercussions beyond the capital. She acknowledged that individuals living their queer visibility are not universally safe, citing instances of torn rainbow flags, attacks on queer facilities, and CSDs requiring heavy police protection. Drese expressed deep respect for those who attended the Neustrelitz CSD, interpreting their presence as a refusal to yield to extremists and a commitment to not allowing their free lives or love to be taken away.

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Whoever lives queer visibility today, unfortunately, no longer lives safely everywhere as a matter of course.