A sea of rainbow flags floods the Römerberg on Saturday afternoon, banners with inscriptions such as "Peace" and "Stop Homophobia" stand out from the crowd.
It is the 30th year that the Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Frankfurt is demonstrating for the rights of gays, lesbians and other queer people, such as transgender people.
When the rainbow flag was lowered from the Römer's balcony at 12 noon, the crowd cheered.
The organizers demanded to be “very loud” again after a two-year break due to Corona.
Kai Klose (Die Grünen), Minister for Social Affairs and Integration, says: "We will never let ourselves be made invisible again." Attacks on the queer community are also a topic, such as an LGBT-hostile attack at the CSD in Karlsruhe in June, the most recent have caused horror.
Fight for acceptance
The drag queen Electra Pain stands out with high-heeled shoes, a rainbow coat, a red sequined dress and bright make-up.
She attends the Frankfurt CSD every year.
"We are here because we are still fighting for acceptance, against discrimination and against violence," she says.
Recently there have also been increased attacks on queer people in Frankfurt.
Electra Pain was attacked with pepper spray at Constable Watch in March.
"It can't go on like this and that's why we're walking down the street." As a drag artist and queer activist, Electra Pain will perform on Sunday on the CSD's cultural stage.
Through her art, she sees herself as a mouthpiece for the queer community.
"It's great that we're fighting with such commitment here in Frankfurt.
I look forward to the CSD every year because you meet the community here.
A man wearing a latex dog mask explains: "We are all equal and have the same rights".
Around his neck he wears a pendant with the name "Spike" - his dog's name.
This role-playing game is called “Puppyplay”.
It's a fetish where you play a dog.
"You can live it out however you want," says 25-year-old Leiko in a dog costume.
Along with 47 other Puppyplay supporters, he wants to show that they exist and fight for acceptance.
More participants than expected
At 12.30 p.m. the demonstration procession with 42 trucks begins.
According to the organizers, this year's CSD is the largest in Frankfurt so far.
However, their expectation of 10,000 participants is exceeded: the police assume that there will be around 13,500 demonstrators.
At the edge of the demonstration route, which leads from the Römer via Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, the Eschenheimer Turm and the Roßmarkt to the Konstablerwache, brightly dressed people dance to the booming bass of the decorated trucks, drink apple wine or Prosecco and cheer the demonstrators.
Red glitter confetti is thrown from the trucks, with which companies and parties such as the FDP, the Frankfurt fire brigade, Fraport and Deutsche Bank are represented.
Some of the trucks are equipped with portable toilets and DJ systems.
The Muschter-Merati family watches the demonstration on Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse.
She came from Saarbrücken to support the queer community.
"It's very liberating to be back here after a two-year Corona break.
Corona has made people narrow-minded again," says one of them.
“The scene is still a bit in the cocoon.
It's time she started flying like a butterfly."
This should symbolize her self-made butterfly costume in rainbow colors.
No special occurrences
The march reached its destination at Konstablerwache at 4:20 p.m.
There is a fairground with food stands and the main stage, on which various speeches and musicians can be heard since Friday.
A police spokesman reports that there were no special incidents.
It was a nice, exuberant party atmosphere.
Groups such as the police, fitness studios, the CDU and the Aidshilfe are presented with information stands on Grosse Friedberger Strasse.
The traditional high-heeled shoe race takes place there on Saturday evening.
The festivities of the four-day CSD anniversary in Frankfurt come to an end on Sunday.