As every year, I celebrated christopher street day CSD with my friends and joined the parade to demonstrate for love, tolerance, and equality. Especially after the terrible attack in Berlin, it feels more important than ever to stand together and make it clear that hate and discrimination have no place in our society.

For me, equality and respect shouldn’t stop at humans. As a vegan, I also believe that we need to question the way we draw such a strict line between humans and animals. Animals experience fear, affection, happiness, and pain just like we do — so the way we exploit and kill them for food, fashion, and convenience feels deeply wrong to me. I wish we would start extending the same compassion and respect to all living beings.

And still, CSD is probably my favorite day of the year. There’s something so beautiful about the energy, the music, the colors, and thousands of people taking over the streets — celebrating together while standing up for something that actually matters. A peaceful party with a purpose. What’s not to love?