Germany: Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats banned from using Berlin Pride float due to equal marriage stance

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) won’t be allowed their normal float at this year’s gay pride festival in Berlin because of the party’s opposition to equal marriage.
The Local reports organisers of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade have decided to exclude the CDU from the 22 June event because of recent anti-equal marriage remarks by several CDU politicians, one described equal marriage as “unnatural” and going against the party’s Christian principles.
In protest against the CDU’s stance, this year’s parade motto will be: “No more empty speeches! Demonstrate! Vote! Change!”
On 22 September, Germany will hold elections and analysts say Chancellor Merkel is unlikely to offer support for marriage equality as she campaigns for a third term.
In Germany at the end of March, the Bundesrat upper house of parliament passed an initiative to allow same-sex couples to marry, which has yet to be put before the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
Angela Merkel has also infuriated LGBT supporters by failing to implement a ruling made in March by Germany’s highest Constitutional Court to grant gay couples the same tax breaks and adoption rights as straight married couples.
Meanwhile, a February 2013 poll found 74% of the German people supported same-sex marriage, with 23% against.