Demonstration under the rainbow flag

On Friday, June 16 at 4 PM we will hold an officially announced demonstration, in order to show solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ community*. This is an important issue for us, and fits with our self image of being tolerant and cosmopolitan.

In the past we primarily supported people from other countries or members of different religions. At the same time we want to show full solidarity with people from the LGBTQ+ community.

We will meet at the same place where the city of Hainfeld is flying the rainbow flag during Pride month. It is a place with deep history: Victor Adler square in Hainfeld.

An additional reason for this demonstration is the fact that our rainbow flag was stolen from the Comedor del Arte house recently. This senseless act showed us how difficult it is for some people to accept and respect a diverse and multicultural society.

As such, this demonstration should also be an education. If we are silent, we support those who stir up hatred. At the center is not a simple piece of fabric, rather it is a symbol of an open society. Stealing this flag is an attempt to take away the rights and freedoms that the flag symbolizes, and these are anchored in the Austrian Constitution.

We have many friends with a diverse background. They grew up in other countries or learned to speak another language, or they might look different than us, have a different name for God, or a different sexual orientation. We are not going to judge or condemn them. We see primarily what unites us, not how we are different from each other. We appreciate the diversity in society, because it makes us richer.

We are still working on the agenda and list of speakers for the demonstration on June 16th. One item will be a minute of silence for people being persecuted, in the past and today.

* Explanation: LGBTQ+ is often used as a succinct way to encapsulate the broad array of sexualities, genders, and experiences that exist within our community. For those unfamiliar with the initialism, LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The plus sign symbolizes the other innumerable identities included under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, like asexual and intersex.