When Berlin's annual Pride parade, called Christopher Street Day or CSD, kicks off on Saturday, there will be no rainbow flag flying over the Reichstag.
Germany's conservative leaders of the Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) have taken a... well, conservative, stance on Pride this year - which is to say they wont be caught supporting it.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) announced at the beginning of the month that the rainbow flag wouldn't be hoisted in front of the Reichstag this year, breaking with a tradition introduced in 2022 by the previous traffic light government. Klöckner also ordered members of parliament to remove rainbow flags displayed in their offices, citing Bundestag house rules that prohibit the posting of notices, posters and other signs on doors and walls.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) doubled down in comments he gave to ARD, saying the Reichstag building "is not a circus tent".
A number of German leaders from opposition parties criticised the decision, as well as the Chancellor's comments in particular.
The former mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, who came out in 2001, told ZDF that Merz had a "great responsibility" and that he shouldn't "make such stupid comments".
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Interestingly, Berlin's municipal transport company has taken it upon itself to put more rainbow colours on display around Germany's political centre.
On Wednesday, BVG decorated the Bundestag U-Bahn station with a rainbow colours on the stairs and a Pride flag painted on its entrance.
In a post on its Instagram page, BVG wrote "We are happy to help you fly the flag." In the photo's caption, BVG added "So our Bundestag is not ready for CSD."
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Germany's largest Pride parade
Berlin's CSD demo is set to kick off on Saturday at 12pm at Leipziger Straße / Charlottenstraße and make its way past the Bundesrat to Nollendorfplatz and then around to the Brandenburg Gate.
The theme for this year is "Never again quiet!"
On the event website, the CSD organisers write, "At a time when the achievements of recent decades are being questioned and attacks on the queer community are increasing, protest remains indispensable this year."
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