No matter who you are, how you live or what you believe in: You are good just the way you are. The rainbow flag, which could be seen in many places in Steyr on Saturday, stands for this. Because the Steyr Pride was held here for the first time. 600 people celebrated a colorful festival of diversity and at the same time drew attention to the concerns of the LGBTQIA* community.
exceeded expectations
Co-organizer Mel Dafert is particularly pleased that so many people came to Steyr Pride. “We had no experience in Steyr, so it was relatively difficult to assess in advance. But in the end, our expectations were far exceeded,” says the woman from Linz, who has been active in the community for five years. For Dafert and the YOUnited team, the festival was an important signal to show “that queer people are no longer a marginal issue. We are breaking down role models and have arrived in the middle of society. We are also a crowd that should be respected”. , says the 24-year-old, who, together with the other organizers, made a conscious decision to go with Steyr. “We wrote a piece of history here. It was one of the first Pride events outside of a state capital. For us it is important that there are also local offers and that people feel represented in their home country,” explains the 24-year-old.
There were no incidents in Steyr like last week at the Linz Pride, where three young participants were attacked and injured. “We had eleven officers on duty, but there weren’t any problems,” says Clemens Lehner from the state police department in Upper Austria. Nevertheless, the organizers were prepared. “When an event takes place for the first time, you should be prepared for anything. There could have been spontaneous counter-demonstrations or other incidents. These are empirical values. We’ve been to events where eggs have been thrown at us. You never know what people think of,” says the woman from Linz.
sequel follows
After the first Steyr Pride was a complete success, Mel Dafert, YOUnited and the other institutions involved are already thinking about 2023. “We haven’t planned anything concrete yet, but the motivation to come back to Steyr next year is definitely there there. After all, we want to be and remain visible,” said the woman from Linz.
Source: Nachrichten
