Half a million on the Ringstrasse
When Austria's federal president opens a Rainbow Parade for the first time, half a million people are there.
On 15 June 2019, Vienna's Ringstrasse turned into the biggest queer celebration Austria had ever seen. Around 500,000 people took part in the 24th Rainbow Parade, held as part of EuroPride 2019, Europe's largest LGBTIQ event. The procession stretched over two kilometres and lasted more than five hours. It was a record that exceeded all expectations.
The closing rally on Rathausplatz was particularly significant: for the first time in the history of Vienna's Rainbow Parade, a serving federal president spoke. To loud applause, Alexander Van der Bellen addressed the crowd: "Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer people live in the midst of our society and will continue to be a visible, respected and integral part of our society."
The parade carried both a festive character and political seriousness. A surprise guest appeared on stage: Melania Geymonat, the young Uruguayan woman who, a few weeks earlier, had been brutally beaten up together with her girlfriend Chris by a group of youths on a London night bus because the lesbian couple had kissed. Vienna responded to this attack with standing ovations. Organiser Katharina Kacerovsky called out to her: "You are not alone." To close, Conchita Wurst, Austria's Eurovision icon, performed and gave the evening its crowning touch.
The motto of EuroPride 2019 was "Together & Proud", and the parade on that Saturday in June made it tangible: as a political statement, as a reminder of 50 years since Stonewall and as a visible sign that solidarity is not an empty gesture.