Queer Joy

A car was driven into the crowd at the Berlin Pride parade (CSD Berlin) on Saturday. A Luxembourger, Jeff Mannes, who works as a city guide in Berlin, had been at the parade earlier. He was not at the site when the attack happened. A friend from Luxembourg called to ask if he was safe. Only then did he see the news.[1]

"It was a shock," Mannes said. "We live relatively often with attacks on the community, also in Berlin they are becoming more frequent, but a real attack with a car, that is something else entirely. It makes you think." A vigil was held behind the Brandenburg Gate. The community gathered. Many were in shock. "But the way I know us, tomorrow we will switch back into fight mode."[1]

The suspect is reported to have an Islamist background. Mannes expressed concern that the attack would be exploited politically. "Quickly, people stop talking about the victims and start talking only about politics, demanding the deportation of people from Islamic countries. My partner is also Muslim. His community has nothing to do with this. And these people are also hit by the fascism that we fear will grow stronger from stoking fears." He described how many Muslim people in Berlin are themselves queer or allies, are open and cosmopolitan, and are now also worried.[1]

"We try as a Pride community to stand together with Muslim people and with all the victims who were attacked yesterday, and not let ourselves be divided." The title of the interview is: "We will not let anyone take our queer joy." A car was driven into a parade. A parade is a celebration. The car was driven into a celebration. The celebration stopped. The vigil began. The vigil was behind the Brandenburg Gate. The community gathered. The community is Luxembourgers and Germans and Muslims and queers and allies. The community is the people who were at the parade and the people who called from Luxembourg to ask if their friend was safe. The community is the people who will not let anyone take their joy. The joy is queer joy. The joy is the parade. The car was driven into the joy. The joy is still there. The vigil is over. The fight mode is on.[1]