Ruhr CSD in Essen - a day for gay and lesbian people

In this year too, the gay and lesbian people from Essen and the Ruhr area have enough courage to move to the best square of the city in the middle of the city centre and show their colours. The feast on the Kennedyplatz is surrounded by rainbow flags and offers a mixture of fun and enlightenment, colourful musical programme and political contents. There are 25 information booths from gay/lesbian associations and groups from the whole area on the fifth Ruhr CSD Essen. “They are positioned in a circle around a big stage so that they form a joint unity, which invites every open-hearted and tolerant person to celebrate with us and show his colours”, Thomas Stempel from Essen Andersrum explains.

On the 2nd August, the Essen association Essen Andersrum and the Aids aid Essen and F.E.L.S. (Forum Essener Lesben und Schwule) present a stage programme from 12 to 22 o’clock. The extended show stage in the Kennedyplatz offers a colourful programme mixture that contents polit talks and a lot of live music. But the ten hours lasting programme also contains a minute’s silence of the Aids aid Essen. Every visitor gets a balloon which shall rise simultaneously and remind of the consequences of HIV and of friends that died because of Aids. Furthermore, the former mayor Annette Jäger will get the honorary award at about 5p.m., because she got involved with the interest of the gay and lesbian people in the city.

She represents the patron of the event, mayor Wolfgang Reiniger, with a greeting.
Christian Stratmann will deliver the honoric speech.

Part of the programme are: the gay choir Vielhomonie Rhein Ruhr, Holger Edmaier (pop/hit), Danielle Thompson (travesty), Uwe Görke (reading), erna SChmidtmann (cabaret), Wilow (folk), Abajour drag queen performance), Dennis Treibelmair & Friends (musical), Danny (Travestie), GOP Varieté, Henning (rock), Kim Davies (pop), Wanda Kay (hit/pop) and many more. The programme of the Ruhr CSD Essen on the Kennedyplatz is, like every year, presented by the travesty artist “Miss Jeanny” and the “Radio Rosa Rauschen”-host Klaus-Peter Natschke.

Information booths/present groups:
Aids aid Essen, Aids aid Ennepe Ruhr Kreis, HALS Hagen, Weiberkram Düsseldorf, Lederfreunde Rhein Ruhr & Friens, SC Aufruhr Herne, ShalK Duisburg, Radio Rosa Rauschen Essen, SliMK Märkischer Kreis, Shiaroma Gelsenkirchen, SVLS Mülheim/Essen, Green Berets NRW, Rosa Strippe Bochum, health office Essen, Herzenslust Essen, Gay Mafo Essen, Pink Elephant Safaris, Feuerwehrgays NRW, Stemmer Gay-Sounds, RA Titze Essen, L’tur Essen, Lidu Lesben Duisburg, SchwuBiLe Essen Duisburg, Danielle’S Schminkbar Duisburg, Transnet Ruhr, Bartmänner Köln, X-Point Essen, SPD; Die Link, Die Grünen/Bündnis 90, Rainbow Borussen Dortmund, Exit Magazin Essen, Box Medien Köln.