Enlarge imageBy Erik Kirschbaum
BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin’s mayor has called for more tolerance as he launched a gay pride parade which was expected to attract 500,000 people including for the first time a group of gay firefighters.
Klaus Wowereit, who has become one of Germany’s most popular politicians since outing himself as gay just before running for office, said on Saturday the aim of the annual Christopher Street Day parade was to fight discrimination against homosexuals.
"The CSD is a fun-filled and colourful demonstration, but it is more than anything else a political demonstration for equality," said Wowereit after cutting a rainbow-coloured ribbon, a symbol of gay pride.
"It is aimed against intolerance and ostracism."
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He said homosexuals still face discrimination at school, at work, in society and even from family members. The motto of this year’s parade is "Homocultural, multi-sexual, heterogeneous".
More than 53 flat-bed trailers carrying dancers gyrating to techno and disco music moved slowly along a five km (three mile) route from Berlin’s smart Kurfuerstendamm shopping boulevard to the Victory Column near the government quarter.
Many at the rally were clad in leather but some took to the streets in nothing more than their underwear. Many carried pink balloons.
There were transsexuals in high heals wearing bright green Brazilian Carnival costumes. Others wore tight black leather trousers with the back cut out.
One of the floats included 10 firefighters.
"The fire brigade is a typical man’s profession," firefighter Mario Bruedigam, 32, was quoted as saying in Bild newspaper.
"It was hard at first to be open about my sexual orientation. Some co-workers wouldn’t shake my hand at first. But now everything’s fine."
Berlin has been known as Germany’s "gay capital" since the 1970s. Gay and lesbian groups say between 250,000 and 300,000 citizens are homosexual.
The parade has been an annual event in Berlin since 1979. Christopher Street Day is an annual protest marking New York police attacks against homosexuals in 1969.
