45th PRIDE BERLIN on 22.7.2023 – Berlin Pride

On July 22nd at 12 o’clock it’s that time again. Hundreds of thousands will march through Berlin to demonstrate for the rights of the LGBTQIA* community. The route is now fixed. In addition, we call attention to the winners of the Soul of Stonewall Awards 2023. This year we are proud of the diverse presenters at the closing rally and our very special guests, activists and partners who strongly support the CSD.

The 45th CSD Berlin | Berlin Pride will be opened on July 22, 2023 by the board of the Berlin CSD e.V. and the Governing Mayor Kai Wegner from 11:30 am at Leipziger Straße. Invited are other activist:inside, clubs and associations, which contribute a variety of speeches. The total length of the route is 7.4 kilometers. Officially, we have registered 500,000 participants with the assembly authorities and the police. This number refers to the entire day.

Ulli Pridat, spokesperson:

“Finding a suitable area for so many people is a huge task, which we discussed together with the authorities, our team and other experts. We have examined previous and new options. Construction sites, delays, bottlenecks, experience reports, safety and visibility in the center of the whole demo, have collectively brought us to the same route of the previous year in 2023. We won’t be able to meet all requests, because there must be precise debates between logistics, safety, visibility and feasibility.”

Be their voice – and ours!

For more empathy and solidarity!

Under this motto, the demonstration will move from 12 o’clock from Leipziger Straße / corner Spittelmarkt through Mitte to the Bundesrat and Potsdamer Platz. Afterwards we turn off in the direction of Schöneberg and Nollendorfplatz. From there we will continue demonstrating to the Siegessäule and finally end on the Straße des 17. Around 4:30 p.m., the first vehicles and foot groups will reach the final area with destination Brandenburg Gate. There will be a diverse final rally on stage – with speeches as well as artistic and musical acts. The Berlin Pride | CSD Berlin ends around midnight. The entire program will be available on our website during July. Special focus will be on the worldwide hostile drag community, the inhumane laws and movements in African countries like Uganda, Ghana and also Namibia, on the self-determination law, and our big list of demands 2023.

The Berlin CSD e.V. is not funded and has been dependent on the support of partners for many years. The association can generate a large part of its finances through its own cost transfers such as the truck registrations, but also through sponsors. The costs after the pandemic have increased enormously and the current prices after the first active year after the pandemic have increased again. Only through reliable, honest and good partnerships, a Berlin CSD Demo is possible. In 2023 we are very grateful to our partners and would like to take the chance to say thank you to our 4 main partners. Another year Mastercard will support us as Main Partner and Enabler of the CSD 2023. Also we may mention another year our strong Co-, Event and Support Partners. Carlsberg, who after 2022, will be a great support in 2023 with their Somersby brand, STRÖER – who are also another year an immeasurable asset in terms of spreading our advertising and demands, and newly joined in 2023: Lieferando, who with a dynamic appearance, a team at eye level and great support will carry the CSD Berlin this year. We say thank you!

Soul of Stonewall Awards 2023

This year, the Berlin CSD e.V. will present the historic Soul of Stonewall Award in the categories International Grassroots Personality, Activist Lifetime Achievement, Award for Berlin Community Project and International Personality in the Fight for Visibility & Solidarity to four wonderful people and organizations of our community. The awards will be presented to the 2023 honorees on stage at the closing demonstration.

Award winners

International Grasroot personality

>>> Angel Maxine

The first trans musician and activist from and in Ghana is awarded for her courageous and strong campaign #killthebill but also for her tireless fight for more awareness and human dignity.

Activist life’s work

>>> Dr. Lutz van Dijk

The historian and co-initiator of a petition for the separate commemoration of queer people in the Bundestag, which received its implementation and recognition this year, is honored for this milestone in German history.

Award for Berlin community project

>>> “Butch Barfly’s”

The lesbian collective, which provides a relaxed, informative and safe space with formats off the norm, is awarded. It is important that the Berlin butch scene is addressed across generations and the format has a long history and lots of networking.

International personality in the fight for visibility & solidarity

>>> EPOA – European Pride Organizations Association + President Kristine Garina

The largest international Pride association, which under its eight-year presidency has mainly worked for a balanced relationship and visibility of Eastern European Prides, is awarded. The association now belongs to the strongest international association for LGBTIQA* demos and supports its members in many issues.

Stella Spoon, Executive Director:

“We are very happy to be able to award broadly political, local, social, cosmopolitan and value-oriented projects and personalities again this year. It is especially important to us to broaden the focus to African countries such as Uganda, Ghana and Namibia and to create a space for them at the closing rally. All award winner:s have accepted the award and will be there in personas.”

The Soul of Stonewall Award recognizes special contributions to equality and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans people, intersex people, asexual & aromantic, queer and marginalized groups. In addition, the award is also intended to convey content in the struggle for equality of LGBTIQA* people. Since 2001, two to five people or organizations have been honored with the award each year. The prize is awarded by the association Berliner CSD e.V. and is ceremoniously presented during the CSD Berlin | Berlin Pride organized by the association. Each year, the award is presented under a different guiding theme. Since 2014, the prize is awarded under the name Soul of Stonewall Award (SoSA).

Presentators

We are many and we have a lot to say! To ensure that the demands, messages and information are transported well, the Berlin CSD e.V. is pleased this year again about a variety and diversity in the moderation. Whether final rally, demonstration or special moderations, it will be queer.

The first club float, and thus the stage for the opening speeches, will be hosted by community icon Eybe Ahlers. With her years of experience, hearty fighter nature, and incredible visibility for issues surrounding the L* of our community, she will get the demo train moving.

The entire Mainstage program will be hosted by Saskia Michalksi, The Darvish, Frank Peter Wilde, Kaey Kiel & BayB. Jane bilingual moderated. This year’s special moderation for the commemorative program point of the Berlin Aids Help is taken over by none other than Barbie Breakout (activist, podcaster, HIV+ idol, drag queen).

2nd Pride Month Berlin

We would also like to draw your attention to the 2nd PRIDE MONTH BERLIN of the Berliner CSD e.V. in cooperation with the Kultursommerfestival Berlin and other partners. The second edition will take place from June 28 to July 23, 2023. The entire program can also be viewed in full on our website until the opening and includes a diverse, low-threshold and dynamic offer of more than 30 different focuses and formats from the community.

We wish everyone a beautiful, visible and peaceful Pride season with more empathy and solidarity.