Pride parade runs the gauntlet in German far-right stronghold [Video]

Before the Pride parade by LGBTQ activists in the east German town of Altenburg even started, a small group had been hurling insults and flashing middle fingers at those present.

Far from Germany’s metropolises with their huge, exuberant Pride festivities, Altenburg’s parade was a reminder of the struggles faced by the LGBTQ community in more remote parts of the country — and their fears over the rise of the far-right.

In June’s European elections the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) topped the poll in Altenburg constituency with 37 percent of the vote and is also widely expected to come first in September’s election for the parliament of the surrounding Thuringia region.

Although the party’s co-president Alice Weidel is a lesbian, the AfD is known for its opposition to LGBTQ+ rights including gay marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. Rather, it has promoted the view that families constitute a “father, mother …