VIII. Gay Games Cologne 2010

The biggest and most important date in every gay or lesbian calendar has got to be Cologne’s CSD / ColognePride. Every first weekend in July, more than half a million participants and visitors come together in Cologne’s city centre to celebrate and demonstrate.

Besides partying and having fun, there is a clear focus on political issues, which are always brilliantly expressed through the parade’s theme. Themes in previous years, for instance, revolved around political topics such as improving the situation of gay and lesbian senior citizens or the demand for an antidiscrimination act.

The abbreviation CSD, which in German speaking countries is the term for Pride events, actually stands for Christopher-Street-Day and commemorates the first public gay demonstration against discrimination on New York’s Christopher Street in the late 1960s.

Alongside numerous political, cultural and party events, CSD focuses around three elements: the ColognePride opening gala on the Friday night, the CSD fair in the Old Town lasting from Friday to Sunday, and the popular, colourful CSD parade on Sunday. The opening gala is organised by the Lebenshaus-Stiftung foundation in aid of AIDS-Hilfe Cologne and traditionally takes place at the Maritim Hotel. With a top-class programme, excellent performers and a dazzling audience, the opening gala is one of the most important social events on the Cologne scene. As this event quickly sells out, it is recommended to order your tickets as soon as possible emailing kartenbestellung@ koeln.aidshilfe.de Those unlucky ones who cannot get tickets can, from 6pm on the Friday night, check out the numerous sales and information stands of the multi-faceted CSD fair in the Old Town. Twenty hours of highly diversified music will be performed by famous artists on the main stage in Cologne’s largest square Heumarkt. This is also where the political closing rally will take place on the Sunday following the parade, with event organisers and politicians of all levels discussing the current issues of gay and lesbian politics. More discussion and cabaret will be presented at the so called “Politur” (literally “polish”) stage, where the atmosphere is more relaxed. Renowned DJs will invite the crowds to dance on the Open-Air dance floor.

The absolute highlight of the weekend is the parade itself on Sunday. The protest march kicks off at twelve o’clock on the dot, on the right bank of the Rhine in Deutz, slowly meandering its way through the city centre and finishing at the Cathedral. A staggering 30,000 participants are taking part, either on foot or on one of the 80 vehicles.

They will be cheered on by hundreds of thousands at the roadside, demonstrating their support for gays and lesbians. Despite the party spirit and their in-your-face costumes, the participants always make sure that their political demand for gender equality and full acceptance of gays and lesbians in society is apparent in the decorating of their vehicles.

For those who can stay in Cologne for more than just a weekend, there are plenty of gay-lesbian cultural, sport or clubbing events during the two weeks running up to CSD. One of them being the “Veedelsfest” in the popular bar district “Bermudadreieck” (“Bermuda triangle”) close to Rudolfplatz.