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No pink camouflage – Queer still means radical

Queer is cool, queer is hip, queer is "welcome" everywhere !!!?

The PR departments of state institutions have recently introduced gay issues as the fertile source for their image building. Multinational companies that profit from the exploitation of women in the global South, or who closely cooperate with regimes that persecute LGBT * IQs and other minorities, give themselves in this country a philanthropic profile by their diversity management and donations to gay organizations. States that wage war all over the world and who pursue domestically a racist policy, use their new and dubious Homo-friendliness today as a figurehead. Even right-wing parties and conservative movements are playing the gay card and declare the white gays, as allegedly threatened by Muslims, to be the new group that is in need of our protection in the West.

Thus, not only are the "colourful LGBT troops" used for the camouflage of a murderous policy, but are the very borders of belonging to the nation redrawn: On the one side stands the white and gay-Christian West, on the other the evil homophobic East, "developing countries" on the African continent, and above all the Muslim world, and all others who are branded as Premodern and uncivilized.

These new borders are also to be found within LGBT * IQ Communities: People of Colour and Muslims are understood on the one hand as a homophobic threat, on the other hand, if they identify themselves as gay or lesbian, they are stylized as victims who have to be saved by the superior mainstream society. Hugged from higher-up, cuddling with the state and large corporations, self-proclaimed gay and lesbian spokespersons with a lot of press attention behave more and more like the bully and participate in the demonization of migrants and the white lower class.

This division is also noticeable in Berlin as our neighbourhoods become battlefields of that same rhetoric. Neukölln and Marzahn - poorer districts that are declared as danger zones, while representatives of gay organizations and populist politicians call for more "law and order" in the gentrified parts of the city. Even in queer communities, an increasing part no longer can afford rents in the city centre, that poor, elderly, and sick queer, transgender and intersex people are excluded from employment, health care, and the access to participate. This does not withhold the opinion-leaders of taxation equality in marriage, the gay managers and lesbian soldiers, from welcoming racist police violence if it is about protecting their 'own' (gay) spaces. In the party scene this is willingly taken over by bouncers in gay bars and clubs who apply door policy by appearance and skin colour.

Berlin, the capital of the Queer

The queer scene of the city has always been very diverse. Mainstream gay, old-school lesbian, queer hipster, political drag queens, radical femmes, kinky butches ... Everything has its place and unfolds in a rapid pace - not only identities and positions, but also political directions. Thus in Berlin, a strong populist and right-wing segment developed within the scene, which is mixing in loudly on many topics. To this end, they could - and still can - count on media attention and a lot of (also financial and other) support from the Berlin political establishment. Public Kiss-ins for "love, diversity and tolerance," demonstrations against homophobia in front of mosques, city festivals for gay and lesbian traditions ... initiators of these and other actions like to see themselves as "scene encompassing" in their responsibility to feed the media with scandalous reports, the security agencies, the Chamber of Deputies , or the senate for expulsion known as the Ausländerbehörde. From bright green to brown-black, they provide all parties with their "expertise". A one-dimensional identity politics is pushed forward while the concept of belonging to multiple identities disappears completely. The result: the daily reproduction of racism, sexism and transphobia.

Refugees Welcome ?!

A misinterpretation of post-colonialism finds its entrenched place in the gay capital. Countries and continents are evaluated from the privileged Western position, which is based on whether they are "gay-friendly" or not. While in Berlin for over two years the Refugee Movement is fighting tooth and nail for "survival", political parties and gay and lesbian organizations preen themselves with the slogan "Refugees Welcome", as does the commercial CSD. The hypocrisy of the usage of this slogan is evident in the complicit silence of these institutions in response to the violent eviction of the Oranienplatz and the Gerhart-Hauptmann-School, the attacks on the remaining Info-Point, and the deportation of many refugees. Lobby groups like to take on "Sexual identity as grounds for asylum" as a lustrous agenda point, but the harassment of queer refugees at the immigration office and in the refugee “Lager” is not something they would confront their allied government representatives with.

Queer still means Radical – Kreuzberg remains Queer and Radical

For nearly 20 years, a CSD takes place in Kreuzberg. Not without reason. The fight for a living together has a long history. At the time of its initiation, filtered out as "filth" from the 'respectable' CSD on the Ku'damm, people from various lifestyles, needs, backgrounds, and realities found each other. Kreuzberg has since become the home of the other, "smaller" CSD. Together we take the streets - for self-determination and for the emancipation of a system that excludes people, against a system that deports, stigmatizes, pathologizes, and discriminates! We do not let ourselves be instrumentalized and played off against each other!

Also in our communities there is transphobia, racism, and classism, no matter if we situate ourselves as left, radical, or alternative. We should not look the other way when discrimination takes place in our spaces. The responsibility lies with us all.

What was fought over, fought for, and achieved, we celebrate! What there is to do still and to be fought for - we expose and take it powerfully into the street!

Take part: roll, walk and dance – all out to Kreuzberg CSD!

Come all, be loud

and leave political party and national flags at home!

We wont be instrumentalized

and played out against each other!

No camouflage, especially not in pink -

Queer still means RADICAL

The KCSD-Orga group consists of:

GLADT eV, Türkiyemspor women and girls division, Rattenbar, Südblock, SO36, SoliTsoli

and numerous individuals of various fore- and backgrounds

https://kcsd2015.wordpress.com