From Monday, 17 June to Sunday, 23 June, 2024, the third »Campus Pride Week« with numerous events took place at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar on the occasion of »Christopher Street Day (CSD) Weimar« (22 June). The aim of the theme week was to make sexual and gender diversity visible at the university and to set an example against exclusion and discrimination.
The 2024 »Campus Pride Week« was organized by the Equal Opportunity Office, the Diversity Department, the StuKo Departments »QueerYMR« and »Bauhaus.Internationals«, the »Diversity.Guides« of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, the student initiatives »Campus.Garden«, »Maschinenraum«, »Café s140« and »Diemensions«, the experimental radio »Bauhaus.FM« and the research group »Futuring Machines«, in cooperation with the CSD Weimar and the AIDS-Hilfe Weimar & Ostthüringen e.V.
To ring in »Campus Pride Week« 2024, a banner with the »Inter*-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag« was once again hung on the balcony of the Main Building. During the entire theme week, the banner sent out a widely visible signal for diversity and acceptance:
»The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is, and will always be, a diverse, open-minded and democratic space. This includes embracing all genders and sexual identities. At our university, we reject discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and we are committed to dismantling existing barriers, especially those that affect trans/inter/non-binary individuals. Our third Campus Pride Week celebrates this diversity and the ›Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag‹ will be raised prominently on our Main Building. The dignity of all people is non-negotiable«, explained Prof. Peter Benz, President of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
Here you can learn more about the history and meaning of the »Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag«.
»Campus Pride Week« 2024 kicked off on Monday, June 17, with two collaborative events between the Equal Opportunity Office and CSD Weimar. In the afternoon, they hosted a workshop on the topic of »Queer Empowerment« with Hannah Engelmann-Gith. The workshop was aimed at LGBTIQ*(+) people and taught strategies for dealing with anti-queer situations, among other things.
In the evening, a lecture followed by a discussion on the topic of »Anti-Queer Ideology: Identity Politics From the Right« took place in the Audimax. The input and discussion with the speaker Hannah Engelmann-Gith focused on how we can effectively oppose anti-queer hostility and right-wing authoritarianism. All members and affiliates of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar as well as interested members of the public were invited to this cooperative event.
Afterwards, the editorial team of the experimental radio station Bauhaus.FM rang in the »Campus Pride Week« with music. During a live call-in show titled »Queer Love and Divination,« listeners could wish for their favorite queer song and have the Bauhaus.FM team predict their dating future.
The program continued on Tuesday, 18 June, with two workshops on the topic of »Co-Writing Queer Futures with AI.« With the help of the »Futuring Machine« — an AI-supported writing tool — the participants wrote short stories and explored the question of what queer futures could look like. The workshops were led by Britta Schulte and Jordi Tost from the interdisciplinary research project »Futuring Machines.«
In the evening, the »Diversity.Guides« of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, the StuKo department »QueerYMR« and the student initiative »Campus.Garden« invited guests to the Campus.Garden. Together with their guests, they baked pizza with the Gampus.Garden KüfA (»Küche für Alle«/»Kitchen for All«).
On Wednesday, 19 June, the student initiative »Maschinenraum« organized a queer soldering workshop at M18 together with the StuKo department »QueerYMR«. In this electronics workshop, participants not only learned how to solder; they could also use their newly-learned skills to build their own LED rainbow lamp to take home with them.
On Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening, the StuKo department »QueerYMR« organized two workshops to design posters and banners together for the CSD (Pride Weimar) demo on the following Saturday. Both members of the queer communities and their allies were invited to make their social and political demands and wishes visible in a creative way or to express their support for the queer communities.
On Thursday, June 20, the student initiative »Diemensions« organized an open afternoon of board games. During the »Dungeons and Dragons« adventure that followed, participants had the opportunity to leave their everyday (university) lives behind and slip into other roles — or simply watch and join in the excitement.
On Thursday evening, the student initiative »Café s140« and StuKo department »QueerYMR« invited guests to a »Queer.Bar« in the festively decorated M18. With queer music and a drink of their choice, guests could toast to the »Campus Pride Week« and get in the mood for the subsequent movie night.
From 10 PM, open-air cinema took place on the lawn in front of the Van de Velde Building. The Equal Opportunity Office and CSD Weimar jointly presented the film »Passages,« with the kind support of the Lichthaus Kino and Culture Care.
On Friday afternoon, DJ Loui led a DJ workshop for beginners entitled »(Re-)Claim the DJ Booth.« The participants learned the techniques behind DJing and were encouraged to express themselves creatively and network with each other.
In the evening, the StuKo departments »Bauhaus.Internationals« and »QueerYMR« hosted an exciting quiz night at Café s140. In a relaxed atmosphere, guests could test their knowledge of queer topics — and with a bit of luck, win great prizes.
Under the motto »Lets Be FWB (Furries with Board Games)«, the StuKo department »QueerYMR« and the student initiative »Maschinenraum« invited all queer furries to an afternoon of board games in the M18 on Sunday, June 23.
The »Campus Pride Week« concluded with the annual memorial service for the »Pink Triangle Prisoners« of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora concentration camps on Sunday afternoon. The event was organized by the AIDS-Hilfe Weimar & Ostthüringen e.V. and the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation. It commemorated, in particular, the approximately 650 inmates of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora concentration camps who were marked as homosexual with the »pink triangle«, around a third of whom did not survive the cruel treatment by the Nazis — forced labor, malnutrition, medical experiments, torture and murder.
Together with the CSD Weimar and other LGBTIQ*(+) organizations, members and affliates of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar honoured the homosexuals persecuted and murdered by the Nazis and all other queer victims of National Socialism. Dr. Michael Wallner, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Advisor, laid down a mourning bouquet by the memorial stone for the »Pink Triangle Prisoners« on behalf of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
Following the memorial service, the guests had the opportunity to take part in a tour of the memorial site. The approximately two-hour tour focused on the fates of the »Pink Triangle Prisoners« of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora concentration camps.
