Latest news with #RainbowFestival
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
More than 20,000 party at Cologne's inaugural Rainbow Festival
Good vibes and live music filled the air as 22,000 people attended the inaugural Rainbow Festival in Cologne on Saturday, organizers said, even as the minds of many were on the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights unfolding in Hungary. The 10-hour party at Fühlinger lake, to the north of the western German city, featured performances by Eurovision winner Loreen, noughties-era German pop group No Angels, and US duo The Weather Girls, famous for the 1982 hit song "It's Raining Men." "Right now, every festival that celebrates diversity and tolerance and raises awareness is important," Olivia Jones, one of Germany's best-known drag queens, told dpa. The Hamburg native hosted the event and used the occasion to draw attention to Saturday's Pride parade in Budapest, which defiantly went forward despite a ban by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. "Half my heart is in Budapest today. I think it's important that some [members of the European Parliament] from Germany are supporting our friends," said Jones. "If I weren't hosting this festival, I would have gone with them." The Cologne music festival, a new edition to the city's Pride events, began in the early afternoon under sunny skies and temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius. German singer Mia Julia, who set the tone with a high-energy early set, told dpa: "For me, it's a bit of a crowning glory because I've been campaigning for free love for years. My sister is married to a woman, I'm bi – so it's particularly important to me to fly the rainbow flag." Village People performance sparks debate In the lead-up to the event, controversy surrounded the inclusion of the Village People, who performed at January's inauguration of US President Donald Trump and whose anthem "Y.M.C.A." was used in his election campaign. Organizers said contracts could not be terminated and tried to downplay the dispute. "Political issues should take a back seat today. Even though freedom and openness for the community are political issues in the broadest sense, we should celebrate and have fun," said organizer Markus Krampe.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Gender and sexual minority community members, supporters participate in Rainbow festival
Members of the gender and sexual minority community and their supporters celebrated Rainbow Habba 2025 at the Students' Christian Movement of India (SCMI) auditorium here on Saturday. The celebration marked the 56th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. On June 28, 1969, gender and sexual minorities fought against police harassment and violence at the Stonewall Inn bar in New York City. The event sparked a global movement for gender and sexual minority rights. Since 2023, Sangama has been hosting the Rainbow Festival every year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. Around 200 people took part in the festival. On the occasion, mothers who accepted their transgender children or adopted transgender children were felicitated at the festival. Asha Imam Saab Naik Wadi, mother of Aina Sheikh (a gender minority woman) from Belagavi district, said, 'Aina has been living in Pune for many years, and is now doing farming in Belagavi and helping other members of the community.' Lakshmi, mother of Paru, who is another gender minority woman from Bengaluru, said, 'My youngest son Paru used to act like a girl from a young age and even now Paru is the one who runs our house.' Siddappa Hukkeri from Belagavi, who has got a government job under the 1% reservation, was also felicitated. Speaking at the event, Mahesh Babu, Managing Director of the Karnataka State Women's Development Corporation, emphasised the importance of developing public policies for the holistic development of gender and sexual minorities. Manohar Elavarthi, founder and executive director of Sangama, said, 'At a time when our communities in the U.S., the birthplace of the Stonewall Riots, are losing hard-won rights, we should stay vigilant.'
