"Gaymainsam" instead of against each other

Every year in June, the LGBTQIA* community celebrates "Pride Month" and the themes of pride, tolerance and self-confidence of queer life are in focus. However, the whole thing also has a political background, because there are still countries in which homosexuality is punishable or violence is exercised against queer people. The colourful festival is meant to draw attention to these abuses.
The origins of the movement lie on Christopher Street in New York City. On the night of 28 June 1969, homosexual and transgender people began to resist the prevailing police violence in the "Stonewall Inn" bar. This day is commemorated every year worldwide with parades and people take to the streets for greater equality.

On the occasion of the 51st Christopher Street Day (CSD), we spoke with Heino Gövert, who is a co-founder of "Queer Pride Würzburg e.V.", which has been responsible for organising the CSD in Würzburg since 2018.

Sprachrohr: Hello dear Heino, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview today and wanting to talk with us about the Pride community. First of all, we would like to know how you personally found your way into the "Queer Pride Community Würzburg"?

Heino: "I had a late coming out at 50, practically 35 years later than normal (laughs) and then set out into the queer community. There were groups for gay fathers, that was the first contact and through that I came into the scene in Würzburg. But I didn't really integrate myself at first. Of course I got to know gay and lesbian people, so I had my own community, so to speak. Then in 2016/2017 my husband and I started to get involved with QueerPride."

Sprachrohr: "Queer Pride Würzburg e.V." was then founded two years later in February 2018. How did it come about and who was involved in the founding?

Heino: "The beginnings of Christopher Street Day were in the 1990s in Würzburg. A very small movement that started with students, via the then already existing WuF Centre (gay and lesbian centre Würzburg). Later, Toleranz Fabrik e.V. took over the organisation of the CSD, but at some point everything came to a standstill. Until many people said 'we need to do something again', but as it is, there have to be people who actually do it, we can all talk well (laughs). That developed after 2016, there were discussions and then people came from very different directions. People from the scene but also from outside the scene. In February 2018 it was time, then the association was founded. There were about 20 people who took part."

Sprachrohr: And how many members are currently active in your association?

Heino: "There are still not many more members, but we don't do active membership recruitment either. We have a membership of 45, but that's not so important to us – if someone is there who works on the content, it doesn't matter at all whether they are a member or not. Currently 5 people are active in the board, the CSD organising meeting takes place once a month, but more frequently in the busy phase now, where 15 people are regularly active. But there are still many people involved in the background through the good networking we have managed in the four years we have now existed. We are very well networked with many associations and organisations in Würzburg, and we are very pleased that there is total openness towards us there. Würzburg is, despite being in Bavaria, an open and colourful city!"

Sprachrohr: What kind of challenges has your association had to face or perhaps still faces? And how have you overcome them?

Heino: "Some people still show rejection, I personally have fortunately never experienced it. But I know some who have experienced verbal rejection, 'gay' as a swear word is still common. But it's not politically correct to behave that way, so openly homophobic. But it's coming back. If you look at some parties' programmes, you can see exactly that they want a different society, where gay people etc. are not provided for. That is actually the challenge for me and for the association, to keep at it and to advance our position in society further. We are very active people and an important part of society, and it is incredibly important that young people in our association follow on, continue it and then go their own way! For that, you always have to continue to provide education."

Sprachrohr: But what has changed in that time and what successes can you look back on with pride, Heino?

Heino: "I'm now 62, that's already a generation that grew up with the struggle, but I didn't experience Stonewall, because I grew up in a small town (laughs). That was of course a very important beginning. It took years and decades to become visible in society, in offices and in various positions. In that respect we have already achieved a lot, there is still some work to do, but to feel that with my late coming out at 50 years old I actually had no negative experiences at all – that's already tremendous! Of course, if I'm not there, people will talk, but I don't care about that! That's generally already totally positive, that we have arrived and can talk about it. You always have to remind yourself how far you've already come!"

In recent years, Pride Month has gained more and more attention in the general population. On the one hand, that's of course great, but there is also the other side, because companies are increasingly trying to "cash in" on it. Many companies are criticised because they seem to only care about the rights of the queer community during Pride Month.

Sprachrohr: Do you see a problem in that the main topic could fade into the background?

Heino: "Yes, of course that's a problem. Commerce, absolutely! So with the big CSDs, the question arises whether we make ourselves dependent, it's been going on for decades. What compromises do we make? How do sponsors want to get involved? How independent are we then? But of course we are also dependent on donations and subsidies."

In Germany there is a long history of discrimination against LGBTQIA* people. Although we heard earlier that the LGBTQIA* community has already achieved a lot, there are still many clichés and prejudices against queer people nowadays.

Sprachrohr: Heino, do you perhaps have one or two tips on how to approach people in everyday life without prejudice and with fewer preconceptions?

Heino: "I take myself as an example, of course I also have my prejudices and clichés. That's socialisation. How did I grow up, what did I see, what was talked about? But that doesn't mean you can't open up in the course of your life – I think that's very important. That you try to approach the other person openly and engage with them. I know that's difficult. Sometimes you might lack the strength. It's exhausting to open up. But actually you can only gain from it, because you learn much more about the other person and learn things that are much more personal than information from the internet and media."

Sprachrohr: How do you think education work can be promoted further and what can you do yourself to support the community?

Heino: "What we can do is keep educating and also educate about misunderstandings, sexual orientation and gender identity! So factual education is very important. In Pride Month it's about queer visibility, independent of the CSD as well, and it would be nice if people made themselves visible there. Outside with rainbow flags, for example in their neighbourhood or at the bike demo on Sunday. My husband and I hung a huge rainbow flag on our balcony and there are several, so everyone can do something to show 'yes we are here and making ourselves visible'."

Sprachrohr: What would you personally wish for the future of the LGBTQIA* community?

Heino: "One goal is definitely to keep going, to move forward, but not to lose sight of the rest of society in the process! I also like to spend time in the community, but I think it's important to get out of the bubble, otherwise you become blind. I would like to live in a society where everyone is seen. Everyone should live their life the way they want, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, politics… The word to the wise (laughs)."

Milena Reis and Paulina Olbrich