Festival – Under the motto “trans – living diversity”, the large political demonstration parade of Pride with many thousands of participants moved through downtown Zurich on Saturday. Trans people should be able to live without restrictions and exclusion, they demanded.
The organizers spoke of the record number of 40,000 participants. The parade started at 2:00 p.m. at Helvetiaplatz, where many thousands had gathered early in the glorious summer weather. A wide variety of groups were there: The official starting lineup included almost 90 organizations and clubs such as the queer football fan clubs as well as parties and companies.
After last year’s Zurich Pride was dedicated to the “Marriage for All” vote, for the first time in its 27-year history, it focused on the legal situation and the challenges of trans people.
The organizers stated that it was time that lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersex people also supported trans people. Every trans person goes through an individual transition process. “From social to medical to legal transition, everything is possible and nothing is absolutely necessary.”
Raising awareness of gender-neutral language
When those affected revealed their identity, they often experienced rejection from family, the work environment and society. “If they are denied the correct form of address and the recognition of their gender identity and are asked overly intimate questions, this is an additional burden,” it said.
The participants in the Pride procession therefore demanded that trans people should be perceived as human beings and not reduced to being trans. They also pointed out, among other things, the importance of gender-neutral language and the disadvantages of supplementary health insurance.
There was a lot of celebration before and after the political move: after the three-year break caused by the corona pandemic, the Zurich Pride Festival was held again on Friday and Saturday evenings on the barracks area. Various music acts performed at the largest queer event in Switzerland.
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