Grief, Outcry, and Hypocrisy

Poem by Amer Antifada: Berlin 26.07.2026
by Amer Antifada on 31/07/2026

Our grief

for the Victims on Christopher Street Day

for the families, friends and the Queer movement
We stand together in CommUnity

Our rage

against all kinds of Queer- and Transphobia 

and against the violence which LGBTQIA+ people
experience every day and everywhere
regardless of from whom, regardless of why
locally or globally

against the hypocrisy

from politicians
who were yesterday there from the start with disparaging words
who yesterday full of scorn, ridicule, and hatred
spoke of a “circus tent”
who banned Pride flags from the Reichstag
who cut queer facilities and projects
to save costs –
and today parade their sympathy
on social media with crocodile tears

against the Incitement

against migrants, in particular Muslims
who are demonised
as part of an alleged “Culture War”
against “our way of living”;
against the instrumentalisation of the events
to incite racism
and to legitimate and continue deportations and wars

against the Fascist mob

which with its streetfighting thugs
has been brutally attacking CSDs for years
threatened queer people
and wants to dismantle and abolish
the rights of LGBTQIA+ people

Our resistance

against the division

For:

None of us is Frei until all of us are Frei!

This poem first appeared in German on the Theater X Instagram page. Translation: Phil Butland. Translated with permission

Amer Antifada

Amer Antifada

Spoken word performer Amer Antifada is the stage persona of Kashmir/ Pakistan originated, British-Asian raised and German Kanax based, Ahmed Shah, a founding member and part of the artistic leadership of Theater X, a hub for community-based counterculture in Berlin-Moabit.