Messages from the Polit-Parade 2019

Every year - since its inception in 1979 - the Stuttgart Christopher Street Day Parade has been organized under a motto. This year's motto was "Mut zur Freiheit" (literally "Courage to freedom"...or "Dare to be free"), but nearly every individual group had its own motto, too.

(There are) more suckers than you think

Some mottoes are straightforward

On the other side it says "Gender is dead & so am I". Um...not so straightforward.

If bisexuality is (only?) a phase ... then I hope it lasts a long time.

Love is varied/diverse

Some people had several messages to share

The placard in the back claims (in the Swabian dialect) that "Diversity is the best" while her heart says "Open for diversity"

Some groups - like the Pirates (who push for free internet in parliament) - let you choose your own motto and stick it on.

Eye-catchers at the parade

This post is for my friend, Vince. When I posted the picture above on Facebook and said it was from the Pride Parade, he very astutely replied that, to him, it looked more like cosplay to him. Yes, there were indeed many costumes at the parade. Here are some of the most eye-catching ones that I saw. 

Even without the colors of the rainbow gracing their costumes, some people simply exuded an eye-catching aura.

This was his costume in 2018!

How much liberty do we need?

Come as you are

Perhaps my favorite couple

This man walked right in front of the heart before the parade began. 

Don't worry, Mom, he's wearing a fake chest!

The Statue of Liberty was popular because of the motto about freedom.

My nine-year-old daughter wouldn't believe me when I said that is a man.

But she believed me with this one.

Betty Heart from Betty and Friends usually has amazing costumes.

In 2011 the peacock feathers were amazing!

Franka K., a hairdresser from Munich, always creates a costume that touches on a current topic. Here the point is that homosexuals should also be allowed to donate blood and bone marrow, thus the cotton swabs.

In 2018 Franka's motto was the diesel scandal.

Cuisine seems to have been the theme in 2017.

And it was wind energy in 2016.

And I guess the message in 2015 was to hang up your clothes!

In 2011 flowers were in fashion.

And in 2010 Franka was looking for a young man to ride around (with) him.

Pride Parade in Stuttgart 2019

Getting from one end of the parade at Erwin-Schöttle-Platz to the other at the Schloßplatz was open to all kinds of options - by foot, rollerskates and inliners, motorcycles, bikes & trikes, tractors, 16-wheelers, vans, automobiles and wheelchairs. You name it, it made its way through Stuttgart for the big Pride Parade.

Some took the hard way of walking the three miles in high heels (when they probably weren't used to them).

 And still others took the even harder route of crawling in their submissive dog costumes.

And whether roller skates...

...or Rolls Royce - the mode of transport didn't necessarily guarantee how much fun you had.

The large groups from Bosch, Daimler, the SPD or Vodaphone (below) usually took to the back of a semi-trailer truck with a loud stereo system.

But the winner in my book goes to this couple. The guy below is actually saying, "Hold my beer."

And then he carries this tall beauty through the streets as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

And this woman stayed up there without a wiggle or wobble. Amazing!

She has caught my eye in years past as well.

2018 as a butterfly

2017 as a silver shimmering dancer

I'm looking forward to 2020!

Christopher Street Day in Stuttgart 2019

This post is going to be in several parts because there are so many colorful images that need to be shared!

The rainbow is the symbol of the gay pride movement. The group of parents of homosexual children always dresses in rainbow attire and carries colorful umbrellas.

Others choose to paint their faces with the colors of the rainbow. In these days of body modification, tattoos, piercings, ear gauging and permanent make-up, it takes a lot of imagination to come up with something eye-catching at such a parade. This young woman was successful.

The Abseitz sport group toted a huge rainbow flag through Stuttgart, adding color to the parade 10 meters at a time.

Armbands, bow-ties, suspenders, stickers, capes and even halos were adorned with the colors of the rainbow to bear witness to the people's pride.

The Stuttgart City Theater and Opera was also represented at the parade by a van touting a banner urging people to be courageous enough to love (whomever you will).

Rainbows upon rainbows: garlands, fans, more eye make-up...

...banners, more make-up...

...and more fans with messages from the Green Party...

...and even the Stuttgart TV tower semi-transported to NY by a Lady Liberty.
However, the winner this year goes to the maker of this piece of whatcha-may-call-it clothing with the colors of the rainbow in it. Congratulations!