Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin

Now in its sixth year, Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin is a femme and trans-led political protest organised by queer activist groups. It was set up as a direct response to Berlin's official CSD parade, which sidelines the realities of Global Majority and marginalised queer communities in favour of a - in the words of IQPB - "neoliberal" and "rainbowwashed" version of Pride.

IQPB runs entirely on volunteer labour and community fundraising, with no corporate sponsors and no state funding. We spoke to organisers about building an anticolonial, antiracist and anticapitalist Pride from the ground up, the logistics of organising without institutional infrastructure, navigating police violence at the demo, and what the work looks like once Pride Month is over.

The demo takes place on Saturday, 25th July 2026, 15:00, starting from S-Bahn station Gesundbrunnen. Tune in for IQPB: Koro ng Bayan, Fabian Kagimu and Dumtak on Refuge Worldwide, Friday 24th of July at 13:00.

What is Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin?

We are organized group of queer activists and a larger Bündnis of organized groups and individuals, who come together every year to organise a radical queer femme- and trans-led political protest. We bring queer bodies, voices and struggles to the streets to build collective power and demand real change.

Why was it important to set IQPB up as an alternative to the already existing CSD parade?

IQPB recognises that no struggle exists in isolation and that systems of oppression are interconnected. We see no reason to celebrate our queerness until the privilege of white, cis-gender and class privileged people is available for all. We don’t see how we can celebrate our queer identities if they are disected and treated as separate from our other identities and struggles.

The existing CSD parade rainbowwashes a genocide, and focuses on a colonial, neoliberal picture of queerness. Since we could not recognize our lived realities nor our experiences in what CSD offers, we had to use our agency and create an event that centers around issues that are relevant to us, with representation that is in line with our values and lived politics.

Stonewall was a riot and in this spirit we want to take to the streets. Queer liberation is tightly connected to the liberation of all oppressed peoples - none of us are free until all of us are free!

What does an anticolonial, antiracist and anticapitalist Pride actually look like in practice?

In practice it means that we centre and articulate our politics on the experiences, knowledge and resistance of marginalised and Global Majority communities amongst us.

We organise with money collected through fundraising events. Our communities are our sponsors and all the labor that goes into organising IQPB is done voluntarily. Our labor cannot be bought or payed for.

We have no corporate sponsors and we answer to no one - no corporation, no government.

What are the biggest logistical challenges of organising a truly intersectional demonstration?

IQPB is a self organized group and Bündis. As we own no infrastructure, there are many logistical challenges every step of the way. Some of these include finding spaces for our meetings, and maintaining enough capacities for the organising needed.

IQPB is deeply rooted and connected to Berlin’s queer/feminist/leftist communities, and this helps us overcome logistical challenges - from finding necessary spaces to have Plenum and working group meetings to every other challenge we encounter.

How do the different participating groups within IQPB connect with and support one another?

Politically organized groups that come together in Bündis to organise IQPB are already connected with one another and organise together throughout the year in different capacities and in different spaces.

Within the Bündis, tasks and responsibilities for organizing IQPB are divided within working groups. Comrades from these groups work together to make their decisions, strengthening connections amongst one another.

Given the police brutality IQPB has experienced in the past, how do you manage the safety of the people walking in the demo?

Safety can never be fully guaranteed since police brutality is quite normalized around showing solidarity with Palestine, criticizing the German governent and its complicity in Israel’s almost 3 year long Genocide.

We have Safety concept, and an Ordni and an Awareness structure, as well as paramedics who volunteer their time. We also hold demo trainings that provide tools for staying safe(r) before the IQPB demo.

What does your ongoing work outside Pride Month actually look like?

After the IQPB demo last year we created IQPB orga group to systematize knowledge accummulated throughout last five years. We also work towards building and strengthening communities thoughout the year.

Has Berlin's attitude towards IQPB changed since you've been running it?

This year we are organizing the 6th IQPB, and each year we gather more and more individuals attending the demo. Maybe this is the best indicator of change.

How can people get involved in IQPB, other than attending the demo?

IQPB opens a public call on social media channels, usually 3 months before the demo. Anyone who wants to get involved and shares our political values can join our Bündis.

At this moment in time, everyone who wants to join can become an Ordner*in, or do Awareness during the demo. Any demonstration is only made by active participation. Get involved, bring your communities and take space with us!

What are your main goals for the next five years?

We want our communities to grow, we want to learn together and to become an even larger threat to the status quo.

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Get updates on IQPB's Telegram channel here. Photography above by montecruzphotodoc, iqpberlin.