Rainbow flag in Beeskow: A strong symbol of diversity and tolerance!

Rainbow flag in Beeskow: A strong symbol of diversity and tolerance!

On June 16, 2025, a rainbow flag was hoisted again in front of the district office in Beeskow, a small town in Brandenburg. This action was intended to send a strong message for diversity and tolerance, especially after the shocking theft of the original flag that was flown on May 17th to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia. The theft sparked widespread outrage in the community and highlighted the challenges the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face. To counteract this development, the new flag was flown under police protection, underlining the importance of solidarity in times of discrimination [rbb24.de].

Over 30 supporters from Beeskow and the surrounding towns gathered to express this positive message. District Administrator Frank Steffen took the opportunity to emphasize how important it is to show people that they are not left alone. His shock at the right-wing extremist attack on the “Bad Freienwalde is colorful” event is great; Nobody should be afraid to take part in public events. The founder of JoVe & Co, Josephine Vetter, also emphasized that the rainbow flag stands for social cohesion and will fly in front of the district office until the beginning of July.

A sign of tolerance

The meaning of the rainbow flag goes far beyond Beeskow. As a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community, it stands for respect and acceptance. With its six colorful stripes, anyone who knows the colors also knows that each color carries a special message: pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, blue for harmony and purple for spirituality. These colors were designed by Gilbert Baker in San Francisco in 1978 to make a positive statement for the gay and lesbian movement, and have since become a globally recognized symbol of protest against discrimination and for the visibility of LGBTQIA+ people, such as geo.de describes.

Although progress such as “marriage for all” was celebrated in Germany in 2017, the reality for many queer people is still characterized by discrimination and violence. A shocking 1,500 hate-motivated crimes against queer people were reported to the police in Germany in 2023, an increase of over 50 percent compared to the previous year. This clearly shows that the achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community are at risk, especially from emerging right-wing political movements.

A look into the past

The International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia, on which the flag was first raised in Beeskow, was launched in 2005 and has since brought the goals of raising awareness and education to the fore. As part of these celebrations, rainbow flags have often been flown on public buildings in the past. It shows that the pursuit of tolerance and peaceful coexistence is still very important, as Vice President Barbara Richstein emphasized during a similar campaign in the state parliament in 2024. Here too, a signal was sent against discrimination and for the rights of minorities, such as Brandenburg state parliament emphasized.

In times when there is a risk of regression in the acceptance of minorities, it is even more important to send a strong signal that stands up for diversity and encourages people to raise their voices against discrimination. Today in Beeskow lives from this spirit of solidarity and shows that even small communities can make big differences.