Redefining "Pride Month": Reclamation and Celebration
In an attempt to co-opt the traditional Pride Month, right-wing extremists have been using the hashtag "#PrideMonth" on social media platforms. However, queer activist and influencer Fabian Grischkat managed to take a stand against them by registering the term as a trademark.
The right-wing extremists seem to be attempting to associate themselves with the LGBTQ+ community's celebration of Pride Month every June. On these platforms, accounts with conservative to ultra-right-wing profiles are displaying their support for the event with the use of national colors on their profile pictures.
According to Fabian Grischkat in an interview with ntv.de, this caught his attention shortly after seeing a sea of German flags on social media last June, causing him to wonder if he had missed a significant football game. Grischkat, who boasts over 140,000 followers on Instagram with his videos on climate change and queer issues, grew concerned when he learned that right-wing factions were preparing for another anti-LGBTQ+ protest during June.
Seeking legal advice, his lawyer friend informed him that the term "Pride Month" met the necessary conditions for trademark protection. This term is different from "proud month," does not appear in the German dictionary, and is not offensive, thus being considered relatively new.
Grischkat proceeded to register the trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office in Spain. He received help from lawyers and the campaign agency Media Force. The organization of the Pride Month originated from the Stonewall protests in the late 1960s, celebrating diversity, tolerance, and the fight against discrimination. In more recent years, right-wing extremists have co-opted the term as a nationalist counterpart.
To further highlight his registration, Grischkat established an online shop featuring clothing items with red heart symbols and faces of queer icons printed on them instead of national colors. He includes historical figures such as the entertainer Claire Waldoff, who was openly lesbian in Berlin during the 1920s, and Magnus Hirschfeld, a doctor and pioneer of the homosexual movement in Berlin during the Weimar Republic.
While Grischkat has the legal right to pursue legal action against those misusing "Pride Month," he chooses instead to make a statement through a symbolic action, hoping to protect the term's use for the LGBTQ+ community in the future. "We registered the trademark to protect our brand," he says, "Pride Month is our term which we want to use in the coming years."
In response to his trademark registrations, right-wing extremists have been promoting their own brand of what they call "Pride Month" through various channels. This includes a video made by extremists from Pforzheim that portrays a Christopher Street Day parade followed by men in black-red-golden helmets practicing martial arts, suggesting queer individuals weaken the "body of the people" and emphasize their superiority.
Grischkat, however, sees a silver lining in the right-wing extremists' use of the hashtag "#PrideMonth," saying, "anyone who knows about trademarks and patents knows that if you don't use a trademark, it will be revoked."
Grischkat's aim with the trademark is not only to protect his rights, but also to promote the term's usage within the LGBTQ+ community by utilizing it as a means of social commentary. The profits from his online shop are donated to the Magnus Hirschfeld Foundation, which supports queer projects and educational initiatives.
While it is possible to send cease-and-desist letters to those utilizing the term illegally, Grischkat states, "We can't stop Maximilian Krah from using the term 'Pride Month.' That's also good, because we live in a country where freedom of expression prevails."
See this article on ntv.de for more information.
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- The Social Fabric: L'Amour Toujours isn't what it seems, and changing the name was a smart business move
- The Evolution of Identitarian Activism in Germany
- Profile: The German #PrideMonth influencer calling out right-wing extremism
Some people on the right side of the political spectrum aren't happy with Grischkat's counter-campaign. The Erfurt lawyer and AfD candidate for the European election, Sascha Schlosser, has made a complaint to the Trademark and Patent Office about the trademark. According to t-online, Schlosser considers himself a supporter of Pride Month - he even has a photo of himself holding the rainbow flag on the balcony of the Erfurt town hall. He thinks the registration of the trademark is dubious and advises the applicants to withdraw their application.
Grischkat is now facing backlash on social media. "I expected to be targeted, and of course, it's not pleasant," Grischkat says. "I can laugh off some of the images, but other comments have gone too far. When it comes to hate speech, I won't just shrug it off. I'm filing a complaint. There's no tolerance for this kind of behavior," he adds.
Read also:
- Maximilian Krah, a prominent figure in the right-wing extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD), has not been deterred by Fabian Grischkat's trademark registration of "Pride Month" and continues to use the term to promote their own interpretation of the event.
- The International LGBTIQ community has shown support for Fabian Grischkat's efforts to protect "Pride Month" as a symbol of diversity and tolerance, with prominent figures such as Maximilian Krah's opponent, Björn Höcke, criticizing the trademark registration but still using the hashtag on social media platforms.
- The European Union Intellectual Property Office's decision to grant Fabian Grischkat the trademark for "Pride Month" has sparked controversy, with right-wing extremists, like Maximilian Krah and the AfD, facing backlash and criticism from the LGBTIQ community and international organizations that support diversity and equality.
