Events - Part 62

 Christopher Street Day, Berlin, 2019

Christopher Street Day (CSD) is the name that some cities in Germany and Switzerland use for their Gay Pride celebration.  The name refers to the location of the Stonewall Riots on Christopher Street in New York City in 1969.  CSD is a celebration, usually including a parade, but it's also a demonstration for LGBT rights and against discrimination.

Today's photos are from CSD Berlin, July 27, 2019.  Above, second from right is Jerome Jolibois, who organizes the annual World Naked Bike Ride in Brussels, Belgium, and at right is William Helsen, who took most of today's photos.  You can see Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in the background.

Most of the parade marchers are clothed, but here are a bunch who are naked, and several of them are painted with rainbow stripes.

A rainbow-striped guy getting a little excited.

More rainbow-striped marchers.  The sign on the right protests against Jens Spahn, who was Germany's Federal Minister of Health at the time.  Spahn is openly gay; he fought for gay rights in Germany, including same-sex marriage.  As health minister, he introduced a law to ban "conversion therapy" – the unscientific and harmful practice of trying to convert a gay person to be straight.  So I don't know what this guy is protesting.

William posing with the protester.

The protester and a chubby buddy.

A side view of the chubby guys in the crowd.

This guy with an unusual Mohawk has attracted a side glance from a passer-by, and it's not his hair that's the attraction.

Watching from the sidelines.

We end with this guy painted as Goldmember.  Is he the same Goldmember whom we have seen at some World Naked Bike Ride events?  I think he is.