CSD Gelsenkirchen — Pride Against the Right

A Political CSD in the Ruhr Area

The CSD Gelsenkirchen is explicitly politically positioned, unlike some Pride parades: it is supported by an alliance of local initiatives under the motto 'CSD Against the Right'. The background is the specific socio-political climate of the Ruhr area, where right-wing extremist parties and movements have repeatedly achieved above-average results in elections in recent years. The CSD therefore explicitly sees itself as a democracy-promoting event that combines queer visibility and anti-fascist stance.

Program May 16, 2026

The CSD takes place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, in downtown Gelsenkirchen. The meeting point is the Alter Markt / Margarethe-Zingler-Platz, the central square in front of the Hans-Sachs-Haus. Here, moderation and the demo briefing begin at 12:20 PM, followed by the start of the demonstration at 12:30 PM. The demo will march through Bahnhofstraße and end at Heinrich-König-Platz, where the street festival will take place from 1:00 PM – with a drag show, discussions ('talks'), and a live performance by the pop/indie duo BOAH ROBIN. At 1:30 PM, the main stage will feature acts like Nonstop Niederschlag (pop), Jolly_wav, and spoken-word artist MALMÖ Poetry.

Aftershow at the Club

From 8:00 PM, the after-party opens at the club 'Hier ist nicht da' at Bochumer Straße 138 (Schalke district). DJane Mary Sánchez will play an electronic set; the venue, with its queer-friendly programming, is one of the most important spots for the LSBTIQ+ audience in the Ruhr area.

Democracy Program Funding

The CSD is organized via the platform demokrateam.org – an indication of its connection to democracy-funding networks active in North Rhine-Westphalia and nationwide. The alliance works closely with civil society initiatives, churches, trade unions, and student associations. At the same time, political actors such as the SPD, Greens, Left Party, Animal Protection Party, and democracy initiatives are explicitly invited.

Gelsenkirchen — City of Diversity

With around 260,000 inhabitants, Gelsenkirchen is one of the largest cities in the Ruhr area (state of North Rhine-Westphalia) and has always been shaped by migration and industrial and mining history. The CSD here is an important statement: queer visibility is part of a multicultural urban society. The city center between Hans-Sachs-Haus, Heinrich-König-Platz, and Bahnhofstraße forms the natural stage for this.