On the 25^th of June, the Christopher Street Day will be celebrated in Berlin, an event that is part of the long tradition of homosexual organizations to commemorate their struggle for the equal rights. This parade is the best known and most popular in Europe and ends with a big party under the Victory Column.

This year the party will take sports as a central theme with the motto: “Fair Play for Diversity”. During the entire week Berlin will exhibit films, theater and other arts performed by the members of the gay community including: homosexual, lesbians and transgender.

The Christopher Street Day celebration was created to remember the repression against the gay community at the Stonewall Inn bar on Christopher Street in New York, which occurred on the 28th of June 1969 and were known as “The Stonewall riots”. This festival has become one of the most popular summer activities in Berlin for its colorful and carefree aesthetic, it started in 1979 with a huge public support. Its growth and recognition led it to have an important political support from more progressive parties, which support its implementation.

This institutionalization of Christopher Street Day has generated discomfort among some non-systemic gay communities, who accuse the organizers of commercializing a celebration that was created with the purpose of subverting traditional moral codes and to accommodate all the marginalized and oppressed in this society.

Among those who question the commercialization of the Christopher Street Day, to the consumer society is the American philosopher and theorist Judith Butler who rejected the 2010 Civil Courage Prize. Acknowledging that the ideas that inspired this celebration have been forgotten, making it a trade fair that has abandoned the support to the fight against the double discrimination to homosexuals and transgender immigrants in Germany, accusing the organizers of racism. Robert Kastl, member of the Christopher Street Day organizing committee, answered to this charge, claiming that several steps had been taken to solve the problem through the creation of a counseling center for lesbians to deal with the double discrimination.

Despite the rising criticism to this celebration, that reflects the long struggle against the discrimination that gay communities have lived, the Christopher Street Day is a holiday that many Europeans await, to express their rejection to all forms of discrimination.

Many say that during these days of June, Berlin becomes the capital of the world of gay, transsexual and lesbian because the streets are filled with couples waiting to enjoy all the entertainment and cultural activities that highlight the contribution that these communities have bequeathed humanity with.

For more information http://www.csd-berlin.de/

Nancy Guzman

No matter what your sexual preferences are, whether or not you have a partner, if you’re enjoying a few days in apartments in Berlin jump into the streets and attend the Christopher Street Day, you will simply love it!

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Translated by: Hans
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As every cosmopolitan city Berlin doesn’t stop re-inventing herself and re-inventing possibilities for those who live in it or visit it. Gay night at the Zoo is one of those refreshing options for the L.G.B.T community that is constantly growing all over the world. Berlin is not only museums, monuments, drugs, techno but also a open community and an excellent place to savor new experiences. This festival that started  in 2005 was immediately greeted with enormous success and massive acceptance among the people from Berlin as well as all the tourists that visit the famous city before summer penetrates will full force.

Berlin’s zoo is a obliged visit if you are in the city. Situated right in the middle of Berlin, this zoo accommodates more animals that any other zoo in the world. The installations are very attractive and exotic, animals live in environments that replicate their natural habitat, pandas, lions, bears, gorillas, animals from all over the world reunited in a space that preserves the looks and feel of their original habitat and try to with great success conserve in the best possible way the animal comfort, something that is very important. It also has an amazing aquarium where you can see sharks and crocodiles, Parties and wildlife all together just for you. Maybe the main difference with other important world zoos is the area it occupies in the middle of the city and gives it a peculiar touch, being only perhaps comparable to the Central Park Zoo in New York, but this one is much larger and with a larger amount of species

To bond with nature is very important these days specially due to the constant maltreatment of natural resources that we all have caused to decrease. Animal rights are still being used as an international  political issue, so its very valuable that a city like Berlin has a zoo as a display of its interest, not only for the dispersion of culture and environment, but also as a space to conserve and protect species

But let’s get back to the party. Amongst the participants Lucy Van Org, Kim Fischer and 55-köpfige Big Band der BVG will be attending. After the concert the famous DJ DJane Monique from the popular Cafe Total will be performing. All of this starts at 7pm so you can enjoy unforgettable dance music. It’s great that in a traditional family environment such as a zoo the gay community can blend in, creating a better integration with the heterosexual community. An interesting and daring move by the organizers who risk opening new spaces for Gay, Lesbian, bears and Transsexuals.

for more info: http://www.gay-night-at-the-zoo.de/

SISTER RAY

Nothing better than going there and finding apartments in Berlin and of course enjoy this party full of color and swing at one of the most popular and visited spaces the German capital has to offer. Book your tickets with enough time from where ever you are. Berlin is a romantic and vital place flowing with energy, welcoming travelers with multiple interests

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Translated by: Marc
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The festival is fairly popular amongst the locals and attracts people from all the four corners of globe. It has now turned into a colorful bustle of the different actors: from Brazilian samba to Chinese lion dancing, West African drums to Berner Fasnacht horns, danced here is what’s on your plate. 

At the Carnival of Cultures (CCG), the capital is at its best: international, culturally diverse, tolerant and full of zest for life! It is the most vivacious, cheerful, colorful, multicultural mass rally, a great costume party, and a kind of fashion show in Berlin. With perfect weather, sun, rain, thunder and lightning, more than 1 million visitors roll up here in 4 days, to witness the dazzling cultural life of Berlin, which is unique in its diversity. . It symbolizes Berlin as a colorful place for a happy and peaceful coexistence.

The street is startled with colorful costumed dancers, hot rhythms, lively multicultural atmosphere with an explosion of colors, shapes and curves. The colorful parade of floats and on foot, buzz both participants and spectators. The number of participants in the parades varies from about 2200 to over 4000 players. No wonder, as the participants set to work and achieve their performance with a high level with unusual costume creations and smiling faces to create a cosmopolitan state of emergency. What comes out is visible on the move as dance, as a mask, as a song, a game … and who can drag themselves, are richly rewarded! Most of the contestants are crowned with a big closing party.

Experience and enjoy the merry procession, the street festival atmosphere, magicians and puppets and colorful mix of cultures!

Schedule: The street party into carnival of cultures will take place from 10 to 13 June 2011.

The main event, the great procession, will take place on 12 June, Whit Sunday.

Rate: The festival is free!

The complete program and additional information on this year’s street festival is available from May at http://www.karneval-berlin.de

John

Why not rent apartments in Berlin and enjoy this colorful yet beautiful festival where dancers as well as visitors both seem to have a lot of fun.

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