The Pride week has arrived in Luxembourg. The country is celebrating queer culture and life. And on Aracityradio, we celebrate as well. Yesterday evening, Pride week was officially opened with the traditional commemoration ceremony. Around 70 people gathered at Place de la Résistance. In the middle of the square, the Luxembourgish singer Edsun is wearing the country’s largest dress. But the evening was only a little about pop culture and more about politics and society.
Whereas in Luxembourg, we are free to celebrate this rainbow month, in many places over the world, this is not the case, Tom Hecker, president of the Pride organizer Rosa Lëtzebuerg Asbl reminds in his speech. “Politics and society have always created the need for safe spaces for LGBTIQ+ people where there can be who they really are. Because in front of the door, exclusion, even discrimination and pursuit, were awaiting. Today, with this traditional ceremony, we commemorate all those who can not be with us today. For the first time, we held this ceremony in 2015, the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp, to remember the homosexual victims of national socialism”, Tom Hecker said.
This year’s commemoration ceremony as well is an emotional event, especially since not even two weeks ago, queer people again have become victims of homophobia, when in Oslo 2 people were killed in the night before Norway’s pride march.
With yesterday’s ceremony, Esch and Luxembourg commemorated these victims as well as all the others. The dress that the musician Edsun was wearing, is the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress, a giant dress composed out of the flags of all countries where homosexuality is forbidden by law and queer people pursued. 71 flags. It is an art wort in motion, the flags of those countries that improve their legislation and allow homosexuals to live in freedom and dignity, will be removed and replaced by a rainbow flag. So that one day, hopefully, the whole dress will be composed by rainbow flags. The artists tomorrow morning are going to be in the studio with Tom for an interview around 8.30. So, tune in to Tom’s morning show tomorrow to learn more about the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress.
Check out the program of this week at www.luxembourgpride.lu.