Munich’s diverse Extra Pride gives a boost to African refugees and many more
Few Black women at Munich Pride? ‘We had to remedy this ourselves.’
Germany is home to many refugees from repressive anti-LGBTQ African regimes, so Extra Pride in Munich is an important event. That’s in part because it reaches out to a more diverse population than the more mainstream Gay Pride Munich (CSD München), which was held in June.
For three Ugandan asylum seekers Henry, Rebecca and Johny (all pseudonyms) Extra Pride served as a pause from a daily life that is far from easy. In their new home, they confront problems of social isolation, language barriers and uncooperative bureaucrats.
“I have been an asylum seeker in Germany for four years,” Henry said. “Although I come from a country where homosexuality is now punishable by the death penalty, I still have the greatest difficulty during my interviews with immigration services.”
Extra Pride was held on July 20 and 21, on the eve of the 25th International AIDS Conference, which ran from July 22 to 26 in Munich.
Many LGBTQ people of color celebrated their identities during this second year of Munich Extra Pride, which featured artistic performances, speeches, workshops and dance parties, .
Among the artists in the spotlight were Mexican photographer Manuel Ricardo Garcia, DJ Mohsimo, DJ Rooja, the drag queen Pinay Colada, comedian Joaquin La Habana Reyes, performance artist Alicia Darling and trans illustrator Ayan, who lives both in Munich and in Goa, southern India.
Queer BIPOCs Munich and Afrodiaspora 2.0 took part, along with many other local anti-racist, anti-homophobia, anti-HIV and LGBT+ asylum seeker support associations, including Beyond Color and People Like Us – Plus.
The event was similar to the Radical Pride held last month in Paris.
In interviews, organizers discussed the importance of Extra Pride:
Sheila Achieng: “It must be said that within the [organization] CSD of Munich, which coordinates [June’s] Pride march in the Bavarian capital, we are not always very visible, nor very represented, especially as black women and consequently, we had to remedy this ourselves”.
Manuel Ricardo Garcia, photographer, Mexico: “I am the founder of this political and cultural event. There was a need here in Munich to organize an event to bring us together.
Also, there was a need for festive spaces and leisure spaces of our own. And through this second edition we hope to perpetuate this event in the long term.
As you can see, Extra Pride is not a closed event. Thus, people of all ages and backgrounds are welcome, as long as they share our core values which positively reflect the contributions of visible minorities within the LGBT+ community.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that the municipality of Munich supports us and has provided its financial support in a decisive way in order to allow the event programming to see the light of day.”
Scenes from Extra Pride courtesy of @extrapride__munich on Instagram:
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