#berlin csd

I'm not in Berlin, I'm near Cologne, the queer capital of Germany,

I am a lesbian living in Germany

I am on the board of a queer organisation and am very involved in the organising of our local Pride, including the security measures we need to protect our Pride from terrorist attacks

OUR. SMALL. LOCAL. PRIDE!

from attacks just like the one in Berlin today.

every time I see those security measures, especially at the Pride I'm a part of, I'm reminded of how much the queer community is still hated and I hate it. I hate that we need those measures, I hate that we have to take them to protect ourselves, I hate that we live in a world where a celebration of love and happiness needs those security measures.

I can't even put words into how much this hurts. for something like this to happen to us, to happen in Berlin.

my heart is broken, my soul is broken, my hope is broken

Pride, even while a protest in nature, should be a joyous occasion to find and build community. Not an event where you have to fear for your life.

Far right ideology - no matter the origin - teaches hate and causes pain. More reason to choose love now.

this is the kind of stuff us pride organisers prepare against, hoping it's never needed

but now it's happened, now our worst nightmare has become reality.

at least one person is dead, several are injured, a whole community is devastated.