Diocese of Linz officially participated in LINZPRIDE in 2022

Under God's heaven there is room for all

Pride Month June: The rainbow flag in front of the Linz Diocesan House celebrates the diversity of queer relationships.   

For the first time the Diocese of Linz officially participates in LINZPRIDE, the demonstration for queer people and their supporters.

Parade for human rights

On 25 June 2022 the LINZPRIDE will take place for the eleventh time, a demonstration and parade along the Linzer Landstraße followed by a party at the AEC. It's a queer holiday with a political background: Christopher Street Day commemorates the first uprising of homosexuals and trans* people against police arbitrariness on New York's Christopher Street more than 50 years ago. Florian Baumgartner says that the organiser HOSI (Homosexual Initiative Linz) is pleased about the official participation of the Catholic Church and that they work well together.

Church movement

 Maria Hasibeder, President of Catholic Action Austria opposes prejudices against same-sex lovers: "It is important to us that all people - regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation - have a good place in the Catholic Church." Other participating church organisations are the Rainbow Pastoral of the Diocese of Linz, beziehungsleben.at, Catholic Youth Upper Austria, Catholic Men Upper Austria, Catholic Women Upper Austria and the Grüner Anker youth church (on the last see the Holy Hydra) 

The participation in the LINZPRIDE is a further step in the perception of queer realities in the Catholic Church in Upper Austria. There are Pride Prayers, blessing ceremonies and counselling services. The church still has a lot of catching up to do in dealing with queer people, says Franz Harant, priest and head of Rainbow Pastoral Austria, self-critically. But: "There has never been so much beginning!

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