Association
ColognePride e.V. was founded in 1991 under the name Kölner Lesben- und Schwulentag e.V. (KLuST) (Cologne Lesbian and Gay Day Association) and is not only the organiser of CSD Cologne and ColognePride, but is also active in local politics and nationally. At the moment, ColognePride e.V. has about 300 members (as of April 2022), including private individuals, queer gastronomy businesses, companies and associations. Nine voluntary board members, a managing director and three advisory board members work all year round for our interests in Cologne.
Political demands
The soul of ColognePride are our political demands, which we focus on at ColognePride, but also at many queer political events and discussions outside of ColognePride.
Extension of Article 3(3) of the Basic Law to include the characteristics of sexual and gender identity.
Nationwide action plans against homophobia, trans*, inter* and biophobia.
International commitment of the Federal Government to the observance of human rights, especially in the support of LGBTIQ* initiatives.
Support for LGBTIQ* refugees and better training for authorities, safe and decent housing.
Funding anti-discrimination and awareness-raising work in schools and other educational and care institutions.
A reformed law of parentage that recognises and safeguards all forms of rainbow families.
Enforcing the Stuttgart Declaration on the Treatment of People with Gender Nonconformities in Conformity with Human Rights.
Support trans* and inter* persons to legal regulations without discrimination and pathologisation.
Special care, accommodation and participation of older and vulnerable LGBTIQ* people.
More awareness raising and support for LGBTIQ* people coming out through education. Emergency telephones and a nationwide network of counselling services.
Cooperations between LGBTIQ* and heteronormative youth centres and groups, and securing their funding.
Antidiskriminierungsarbeit für Menschen mit HIV sowie mehr Mittel für die Aufklärung zu neuen Behandlungs- und Präventionsmethoden auch zu anderen sexuell übertragbaren Erkrankungen.
Improve media coverage of queer events and comprehensive visibility of queer life.
Eliminate unequal treatment under labour law of queer workers in tendentious and sectarian workplaces.
History
Christopher Street Day (CSD) commemorates the first known uprising of homosexuals and other sexual minorities against police arbitrariness on New York's Christopher Street in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood: In the early morning hours of 28 June 1969, the so-called Stonewall Uprising took place at the Stonewall Inn bar. At that time, there were repeated violent raids by the police on bars with trans and homosexual target audiences. Afro-Americans and those of Latin American origin were particularly affected by abuse and arbitrariness. When drag queens and transsexual Latinas and Blacks in particular resisted the recurring checks that night, it was the beginning of days of street battles with the New York police. To commemorate the first anniversary of the riot, the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee was founded. Since then, the last Saturday in June, Christopher Street Liberation Day, is commemorated with a street parade in New York. This has grown into one of the largest international human rights movements, which organises demonstrations for the rights of gays, lesbians and all sexual minorities in many countries in the summer. Today, one of the largest CSD demonstrations in Europe takes place in Cologne every year on the first weekend in July. Here you can find a detailed history of Christopher Street Day International and here in Cologne, published by the Gay Network NRW - today Queer Network NRW.
The team of ColognePride e.V.
Jens Pielhau
Natalie Hagen
Hugo Winkels
Barbara Barth
Patrick Gloe
Martin Hommel
Cheryl Dowtin
Uwe Weiler
Marvin Knappmeier
Hans Douma
Ina Wolf
Jakob Kindler
Anbid Zaman
Birgit Pillen
Martina Messerschmidt
Bianca Krüger
David Kirsch
Roland Henß
Andre Cremer & Lisa Lewendel
Sebastian Sander
Jürgen Tasch
Markus Fuchs
Markus Kuesgen
Stephan Tenten
Timothy Tasch
Become a member
We are pleased that you are interested in becoming a member of ColognePride e.V. and hope that we have convinced you of our work. Here you have the possibility to apply for membership. It's very simple and you can fill it out in PDF format. You can simply send it by email to office@colognepride.de or by post to our address at Mauritiussteinweg 98, 50676 Cologne.
With your membership, you not only support the work of ColognePride, as a member you also have the opportunity to help determine the path of the association. For example, you get the right to vote at the general meeting, which takes place once a year. At this meeting, the board of directors, the advisory board, the demo management and the office report to you about their work in the past year and the plans for the coming years. Furthermore, you will receive a newsletter several times a year with lots of important information. We organise an annual members' evening at the CSD street festival and we look forward to welcoming many of you there and toasting to a good CSD. Traditionally, there is also a members' evening on 10 December at one of Cologne's Christmas markets.
Rules and regulations
Here you can find the statutes adopted by our general meeting, our contribution rules and the structural rules of the board of directors
Networking
Our Outreach Programme
In 2012, the Kölner Lesben- und Schwulentag e.V. (now ColognePride e.V.) launched the "Consciousness Cologne Pride Outreach Programme" (or simply in German: "Aktion stolzze Einladung") as part of ColognePride.
The programme enables LGBITQA* activists and Pride organisers from other countries to visit Cologne during the CSD weekend and to experience and participate in our programme. The idea is to invite people who are facing difficult political conditions in their own countries and who are working to make progress in the struggle for queer rights in their communities.
The purpose of this visit is to get to know each other, to exchange ideas, to learn from each other and to build bridges. It should encourage the respective actors for their work on the ground and actively demonstrate that we stand behind them. We want to show recognition and support and strengthen the work of the foreign activists!
A fixed part of the weekend are the performances of the activists on the political stage. Here they talk about the political situation in their home countries, about their lives and their work.
We are networked
ColognePride has friendly and substantive links with many associations and organisations. We are also members of CSD Deutschland e.V., EPOA (European Pride Organisers Association) and ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association).
The association is a voting member of the "Stadt AG Queerpolitik" of the city of Cologne and is represented in many committees in our city. Throughout Europe we support many smaller CSDs in their work and organisation.