Zurich Pride Festival
The Zurich Pride Festival , formerly CSD Zurich until 2009 , is an annual festival in Zurich that includes a supporting program of several days with specialist conferences, cultural events, open-air concerts and a demonstration for the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and people with trans identities , intersex people and queers. It is the largest LGBTIQ event in Switzerland.
history
1994-1998
The CSD Zurich was held for the first time in 1994. Some of the festivities took place behind the State Museum, at the Gessnerallee Theater, on the Zeughausareal or the Turbinenplatz. Over the years, the CSD transformed from the initially simple demonstration procession and festival area into a festival with a supporting program. In 1995 the CSD Zurich association was founded.
1999: "30 years of Stonewall - equal rights now!"
The CSD Zurich celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The motto was «Equal rights now!». The speakers were: the then Basel National Councilor Margrith von Felten and the FDP Cantonal Councilor Hans-Peter Portmann . On the main stage of the Platzspitz, Valentino, then Mr. Gay, hosted a cultural program in which u. a. Tara LaTrash and other Zurich personalities performed.
2000: "lesbian-gay-bi-national"
The situation of same-sex couples in which one partner is of foreign nationality was the topic of the CSD Zurich in 2000. A registered partnership was required so that the partner can obtain a residence and work permit in Switzerland. The cultural program had to be moved from Platzspitz to the Zeughaus area at the last minute. There u. a. Nella Martinetti up.
2001: "Work together"
The motto of the CSD Zurich in 2001 was “work together”. It was intended to draw attention to the situation of lesbians and gays in the workplace. For example, discrimination ( bullying or denied boarding) was pointed out. A well-known speaker on Helvetiaplatz was the then Swiss Federal President Moritz Leuenberger . The Swiss singer Maja Brunner had an appearance on the main stage .
2002: "We are family"
In the year of the family, the CSD Zurich also makes the family its motto. It was "We are family". On the one hand the family in which lesbians and gays grew up and on the other hand the new, unconventional families in which they live was discussed. Speakers on the Helvetiaplatz was the Zurich mayor Elmar Ledergerber . The Spanish duo Baccara performed on the main stage .
2003: "up the country - down town"
With this CSD it was pointed out that there is a lesbian-gay reality beyond the metropolises. One wanted to point out deficiencies in the acceptance of gay life in the country, which had long been eliminated in the city. The speakers were a cantonal parliamentarian from rural areas. Tina Charles was a guest on the main stage .
2004: «Rights Now! - Lesbians and gays worldwide »
The motto of 2004 was “Rights Now!”. For the first time, the CSD Zurich took place at the beginning of June and despite the cloudy weather, thousands came to the parade and the subsequent festival, which took place on Turbinenplatz in District 5. The British singer Samantha Fox performed on the main stage . For the first time, an ecumenical service was celebrated, which from this point on became the fixed framework program of the festival. This is supported by the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich, by the Roman Catholic Church in the Canton of Zurich and from 2009 also by the Christian Catholic parish of Zurich.
2005: "Go For yes!"
The motto of this festival was “Go For yes!”. One day before the national vote on the Partnership Act , the CSD asked for approval. National Councilor Doris Leuthard (CVP) and SP Government Councilor Markus Notter spoke on Helvetiaplatz . The parade counts around 8,000 people and the festival on Turbinenplatz was musically supported by the Swedish group Alcazar .
2006: "Acceptance goes to school"
A motto that primarily calls on schools and politicians to remove taboos from homosexuality in schools, to include the subject in teaching materials and to fully accept same-sex teachers. But parents are also encouraged to face the homosexuality of their daughter or son without judgment. The CSD Zurich introduces some innovations: In addition to two political speeches, Patrick Frey, a stage artist, was invited to present his personal point of view. The parade was the largest so far in the history of the CSD Zurich. In the evening there was also a CSD party.
2007: "Confess yourself!"
The CSD of 2007 called on lesbians and gays to acknowledge their sexual orientation and thus promote social acceptance of this way of life. Klaus Wowereit (Governing Mayor of Berlin) was invited as a speaker, who could become a role model with his public commitment before his election. In addition, the closure of darkrooms by the City of Zurich was criticized at the CSD. As a symbol, the Zurich nightlife was carried to the grave with a black coffin.
2008: "Offside & in the middle"
One week after the CSD Zurich, the European Football Championship starts in Switzerland and Austria . The organizers of the CSD saw the proximity to the largest sports festival as an opportunity and a challenge. They wanted to draw attention to the fact that homosexuality was still strongly taboo in football. Two football goals adorned with pink balloons were drawn through the city as a symbol. As in previous years, the number of participants in the demonstration parade was increased.
2009: "Europride Zurich"
This time the CSD was held as part of the Europride , which took place for the first time in Switzerland. Almost 50,000 people took part in the big parade and demonstrated on June 6th for their rights “Your rights are my rights”, around 100,000 people lined the roadside. With 24 floats and 25 clubs, it was the longest parade ever in Zurich. Thousands of visitors were enchanted at the two-day Zurich city festival. Over 50 mobile stars shone over the streets of the festival area. The city of Zurich was decorated with rainbow flags in the city center and on trams and buses. the visitors came from all over Switzerland, from Europe and from overseas. The Europride supporting program lasted five weeks. A total of 218 events were on the program. Of these, 70 films were shown and 51 cultural events and 51 parties took place. Many events such as Pink Apple or Warm May were sold out. On the sports weekend, more than 300 athletes from all over Switzerland and Europe competed for medals. During the political discussions a whole range of topics could be discussed, for example the family situation of lesbians and gays, social diversity up to the first Gay and Lesbian Economic Forum in Switzerland.
The first international dance tournament since the Eurogames 2000 took place at Europride . A website on the history of gays in Switzerland was also launched. In addition, a two-day city festival with three stages was held in the center of Zurich.
In November, the year of Europride, the Gay Pride - Christopher Street Day Zurich sponsoring association was completely overhauled. In addition to the total revision of the statutes, the association was also given a new name, namely «Zurich Pride Festival». The previously known double presidency also ended. The concept for a festival in Zurich is based on previous CSD events combined with the experience of Europride 2009.
2010: "Do Ask - Do Tell"
A cultural and political program was offered over four days in 2010, promoting more tolerance and acceptance in society. There were numerous information stands and the large main stage on Turbinenplatz. The adjoining Seiz area housed the cultural stage and other stands of organizations and institutions. The demonstration took place on Saturday. The route started at the port facility Enge and led around the lake basin to Bellerivestrasse. Under the motto “Do Ask - Do Tell”, the festival committee called for more communication between the different groups within society.
2011: "Live with The Difference - Vivre avec la différence"
The theme of anti-discrimination and a health-oriented orientation of the festival was the reason for the motto "live with the difference - vivre avec la différence" for the Zurich Pride Session 2011. It took on the fight against discrimination launched by the umbrella organizations Pinkcross and LOS . The motto is an invitation to tolerate and accept the differences of others, but also to live with your own otherness. This applies not only to sexual orientations, but to all the diversity in our society.
With the political speeches, the Zurich City President Corine Mauch , the Zurich Police Chief Daniel Leupi , the Council of States Felix Gutzwiller and Zurich Health Director Thomas Heiniger , high-ranking political representatives could be welcomed on the main stage. The approximately 35,000 visitors experienced a festival with many artists, a demonstration parade through Zurich city center and many information stands.
2012: "Welcome To Reality"
A high honor for this political festival was the appearance of the Federal Councilor and Head of the Federal Police and Justice Department (FDJP) Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga . She had come from the Federal Palace as a political speaker on the main stage. The motto "Welcome to Reality" (in German: "Willkommen in derreality") is intended to wake up, point out and direct our attention to today's problems, because there is still discrimination and attacks on members of the LGBT in Switzerland and the rest of the world I community. It even goes so far that some states lock up, torture and execute LGBTI people. Together with Queeramnesty Switzerland and the Ugandan Kasha J. Nabagesera, the public was confronted with this topic. It was a very sunny and warm open air on Zurich's Turbinenplatz in District 5. The approximately 38,000 guests peacefully celebrated the artists on the stage, which was realigned this year. A demonstration march moved from Helvetiaplatz via Bahnhofstrasse to Werdmühleplatz.
2013: "All Families Matter"
In 2013, Zurich Pride was all about families. With the motto "All Families Matter!" (in German: “All families count equally”) we wanted to show that children do not need conservative family images, but rather loving parents. At the same time, the motto should point out that the adoption ban for homosexual couples, which is still in force in Switzerland today, is completely nonsensical and in no way in the interests of the child. With the umbrella organization Rainbow Families, they had the ideal political partner to spread this message clearly and with solid facts. During Pride Week, the umbrella organization for rainbow families organized a symposium at which top-class scientists from all over the world gave lectures on the subject of rainbow families. The demonstration parade was opened by the newly elected Zurich police chief Richard Wolff . Mona Läuchli also reported on her everyday life in a rainbow family. The demonstration parade was led by rainbow families and a little train on which children happily threw sweets to the numerous spectators.
In sunny weather, the Zurich Pride Festival was then celebrated on Turbinenplatz. The festival was rounded off by a fiery plea from National Councilor Chantal Galladé for immediate equality and a dedicated speech by the Zurich City Council President (and thus the highest Zurich citizen) and Martin Abele, who has been fighting for LGBT rights for decades .
2014: «Especially now!»
2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the CSDs in Zurich. Accordingly, the Zurich Pride Festival returned to the roots of its origins and spread across the barracks area. The motto of Pride was "Now more than ever!" and denounced, among other things, the increasing violence against homosexuals in Eastern Europe and Russia. On Friday evening Conchita Wurst had the honor of performing three of his pieces and also receiving the "Conchita Wurst Unstoppable Award" from presenter Kurt Aeschbacher. The Pride thus honored the artist's courageous appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest, which aroused worldwide interest and promoted acceptance among trans people.
On Saturday lunchtime, in midsummer weather, interest groups from the LGBT community as well as numerous families gathered on Helvetiaplatz to listen to the speeches of the invited politicians, Hans Fehr and Laurent Seydoux . Then a cheerful demonstration parade of 12,000 people moved through the streets of Zurich. The Mayor of Zurich Corine Mauch, the Geneva Councilor Robert Cramer and the Ausserrhoder National Councilor Andrea Caroni gave speeches.
The official Pride party took place at Club Xtra. On Sunday morning, you could indulge yourself with the annual HAZ breakfast in the Zeughaus restaurant on the barracks area .
2015: "Equality without borders"
Due to the ranking of Switzerland in the last third of the rainbow map, the aim of the Zurich Pride Festival 2015 was to address the fact that there was still a lot to do in Switzerland with regard to the legal basis. During Pride Week, diverse events on specialist topics and culture were organized, and Gay Sport Zurich opened its training courses to those interested. Credit Suisse presented its LGBT Ally program, the film “Julia” celebrated its Swiss premiere, the Zurich Office for Equal Opportunities discussed the subject of “Prides between party and politics”, and from the panel discussion onwards, the promotion of lesbian, bisexual and discussed queer women.
Before the demonstration, representatives of the national LGBT umbrella organizations, US Ambassador Suzan LeVine and Aline Trede spoke to the crowd. The parade was led by ambassadors from eleven nations.
The Zurich Pride Festival was celebrated on the barracks area and arsenal. In addition to the speeches by Daniel Jositsch and Rosmarie Qudranti , the US model Alex Minsky spoke to the festival visitors. There was also an appearance by Snap! to see the hits like “Rythm is a Dancer”. In 2015 the official Wonderworld Pride Party took place in Club Xtra. The festival ended on Sunday with the annual HAZ brunch, the ecumenical service in the Predigerkirche and the Zurich Rascals' Grill & Chill Rugby Day.
2016: «#TeamForLove»
In 2016, the Zurich Pride had the motto «#TeamForLove». This message is to show that the love of two people is in the foreground - no matter what gender the two are. The message was also used in the election campaign against the CVP initiative against the marriage penalty, which in addition to the abolition of tax equality for married couples also wants to write the marriage between men and women in the constitution.
The Zurich Pride Festival took place on the barracks area and Zeughaushof from June 10th to 11th, 2016. On June 11, 2016, the large demonstration parade through downtown Zurich and the entire Zurich Pride Week with events on the subject of LGBT was from June 3 to 12, 2016.
2017: "No Fear To Be You - Security for LGBT Refugees"
The motto in 2017 was “No Fear To Be You - Safety for LGBT Refugees”. 37,000 people took part in the festival and 19,000 in the parade on June 10, 2017.
2018: "Same Love - Same Rights"
The motto drew attention to the fact that homosexual lovers in Switzerland still do not have the same rights and opportunities as heterosexuals.
2019: "Strong in diversity"
This year Pride celebrates the 25th anniversary and 50 years of Stonewall. The motto is “Strong in diversity” and is intended to celebrate the diversity of people.
2020: "Show your colors against hatred"
The motto of Zurich Pride 2020 is “Show your colors against hatred”. Physical and emotional violence, discrimination and stigmatization are part of everyday life for the LGBTIQ community. The 2020 Zurich Pride motto is intended to address all forms of hatred and to call on society to stand up against it.
organization
Under the name Zurich Pride Festival there is an association within the meaning of Article 60 ff. ZGB with its seat in Zurich. The association promotes and demands the acceptance of the LGBTIQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, queer) in public and in everyday life. In order to achieve this, the association aims to organize and implement an annual demonstration parade in Zurich, a festival, and the organization and / or implementation of events related to the purpose. The association creates its own stories from the LGBTIQ world for its social media channels on Facebook and Instagram and has been producing the “Zurich Pride Podcast” since 2020. The club is not for profit.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ CSDs after 1981, in: schwulengeschichte.ch , accessed May 19, 2012.
- ^ Head of State at the CSD, Federal President Moritz Leuenberger, in: schwulengeschichte.ch , accessed May 19, 2012
- ↑ Colorful Zurich Pride Parade , in: Tages-Anzeiger, June 5, 2010
- ^ Annual review 2010 , in: Youtube, Zurich Pride Festival
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Zurich under the sign of the rainbow , in: Tages-Anzeiger, June 20, 2011
- ^ Annual review 2011 , in: Youtube, from Zurich Pride Festival.
- ↑ Video of the organizer , in: Speech of the Federal Councilor, June 16, 2012
- ↑ Swiss television , in: Report of the Swiss Tagesschau, June 16, 2012
- ^ Annual review 2012 , in: Youtube, Zurich Pride Festival
- ↑ NZZ report of June 13, 2014
- ↑ Cooperation with the youth TV broadcaster Joiz
- ^ Annual review 2015 , in: Youtube, Zurich Pride Festival
- ↑ Press releases. Zurich Pride Festival, accessed August 25, 2017 .
- ↑ For our rights. Since 1994.
- ↑ zurichpridefestival.ch