A black smeared zebra crossing in rainbow colors and a sawn-off flagpole with an obvious rainbow flag are current signs: there is still a lot to do in Salzburg before LGBTIQ are accepted.
There is still a bit of time before the CSD in Salzburg, Pride Week begins at the end of August, and the parade follows on the first weekend in September. But one thing is already certain: there are people who don’t like too much LGBTIQ visibility.
Two years ago, vandals daubed a rainbow-colored bank in Salzburg (MANNSCHAFT reported). At the end of last week, vandals in the Lehen district smeared black spray paint over a rainbow crosswalk that had just been inaugurated. According to the police, the damage amounts to around 1500 euros.
On the night of Saturday, unknown persons sawed off the flagpole in front of the SPÖ Salzburg party headquarters, on which the rainbow flag had been hoisted. HOSI did that via Facebook known. The flag has also disappeared, said the Salzburg SPÖ city councilor Anja Hagenauer.
But the party refuses to be intimidated. “The Salzburg SPÖ has already ordered a new flagpole and will raise two rainbow flags in response to the homophobic attack in July,” announced state manager Gerald Forcher ORF a.
“As long as there are people who have a problem with homosexuality, we need rainbow flags and June as a month to celebrate that love is diverse,” says Forcher.
Sexuality is not a private matter until people can love each other openly without being attacked by idiots.
The state director adds that sexuality is not a private matter “until people can love each other openly without being attacked by idiots and people who are afraid of their own sexuality”.
In Linz, after the Pride, a group of trans girls were beaten: They wanted to go to the toilet in a fast food restaurant (MANNSCHAFT reported).