Pride parade in Cologne

Pride parades in Germany are held on what is called Christopher Street Day (CSD); in memory of the first significant LGBT protest against police violence in the US, which occurred at the Stonewall Inn bar on Christopher Street in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan on June 28, 1969.

Christopher Street Day (CSD) gatherings take place across Germany but the largest events are held in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Despite being a city of just 1.2 million people hundred-of-thousands, perhaps as many as 800,000, pour into Cologne from across the region to celebrate. The weekend-long event begins on Friday and culminates with Sunday's colorful parade through the city.

CSDs have a carnival-like atmosphere with colorful costumes and floats; but they are also political events with speeches, politicians and patrons.

The Pride parade got its start in Cologne in the 1980s, with the aim of educating the public on the LGBT community, and providing awareness of what was then a growing AIDS crisis.

"Love deserves respect," reads one placard at Sunday's parade in Cologne. The LGBT community has made enormous strides towards social equality in recent years. Many developed countries have legalized same-sex marriages.

Conservative sects of virtually all the world's religions have historically been bitterly opposed to accepting same-sex relationships.

Many Islamic countries aggressively criminalize LGBT relationships but more and more people are willing to speak out against such regressive laws.