Giessen Pride 2027 / CSD Mittelhessen 2027

Gießen does not have a Pride march of its own every year. The city is part of Pride Central Hesse (Christopher Street Day Mittelhessen), which moves between Gießen, Wetzlar and Marburg and usually stays in one of the three towns for a few years before moving on. The organiser is a registered Pride association from the Lahn region, backed by a planning team of local clubs, initiatives, informal groups and city administrations. If you want to catch it in Gießen, check first which town is hosting.

When Gießen is the host, people gather around midday on the square in front of the main railway station. After an opening rally the march walks into the city centre, where a street festival with a stage programme takes over. You don't need to register. The organisers only ask that everyone who marches supports the aims of the event. A party follows in the evening.

The organisers are clear that this is a demonstration first. The original idea was to bring Christopher Street Day to a largely rural region and to encourage every town to eventually hold its own. Demands they name include recognition of rainbow families, a ban on conversion therapy, education about diversity in schools and protection for queer refugees. Marburg and Limburg now run their own Pride events, and the groups work together rather than compete.

The city has taken a position too. Gießen has declared itself a freedom zone for LGBTIQ people and has joined the Rainbow Cities Network, an international group of cities with active queer policies. Outside Pride season, the Hans-Peter-Hauschild-Haus run by the local AIDS service organisation on Diezstraße and the gay, trans and queer student office at Justus Liebig University are the places that keep the community connected.