The University of Cologne in the colours of the rainbow

A field report by student Katharina Kroschel

Red - Life
The university shows its flag. To kick off the 4th Diversity Week, which is thus practically an official tradition, two rainbow flags will be hoisted in front of the main building for the first time on Monday afternoon. For the next three weeks, they will be waving and visibly setting a sign - a sign of openness, acceptance and appreciation of all employees and students of the University of Cologne. Not only during Diversity Week, but also in relation to Pride Month and everyday life, because life at the university is incredibly diverse. The Prorector for Equality and Diversity, Prof.'. Dr. Manuela Günter, even climbs the ladder herself to hoist the flag. With just a few hand movements and to applause, the flag soon flutters in the wind at the top of the flagpole. The second flag completes the picture and frames the main entrance of the main building aesthetically in bright colours.

Orange - Health/Healing
Maybe some will criticize that no one is helped by pretty flags in a gentle breeze, but I think symbols are important. The flags alone are a sign, the projects and fields of action of the University of Cologne are even more so. People who are discriminated against by society and thus also by universities should be openly received, supported and encouraged here. The process of reparation, of healing, if you will, has been initiated and is - very necessary in these times - running through public life. This is also shown by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's recently formulated request for forgiveness for the persecution of homosexuals in German history and their inadequate coming to terms with it.

Yellow - Sunlight
The sun does not shine while the flag is raised. Instead, the sky offers us a dramatic light and dark grey spotted canvas of clouds, which effectively creates tension and not only because everyone is wondering if it is about to start raining. Dark, the rainbow colours stand out against the grey sky. Just now the flags are safely up, the first drops of a small shower are falling. But that is not too bad, we are not made of sugar, a little bit of wetness can't harm us. The wind that comes with the rain comes in handy and unfurls the flags in all their glory. Later even the sun comes out and so the colours shine at the end of the day well visible over the campus.

Green - Nature
The weather might not play a role in our colourful venture at the beginning, but in the end nature shows up on our side. But after the flags are raised, the kick-off event of the Diversity Week is on the agenda: 'Tarik's Hate Side Story: When the hate mail goes out on the Internet...' In return, we retreat from the already subsiding shiver inside. Prof.' Dr. Günter greets those present and then hands over to Tarik Tesfu, who has already had some experience with the nature of the Internet. He is a feminist, net activist and in the course of his work he encounters hatred, which obviously flows naturally from the typing fingers of his trolls and hater*.

Blue - Harmony
Nevertheless, Tarik's lecture is about harmony and love. He explains why he completed his Gender Studies studies on his own (not aborted, because aborted sounds like failure) and what his (completed) training as an educator has to do with his activism. He reports about his YouTube projects and his work for the ZDF format 'Jäger und Sammler'. However, it doesn't become harmonious at all when Tarik tells about the hacker attack that led to the most private things, like his address and his payroll, ending up on the net. Then, without batting an eyelid, he reads out some of the hate comments he has collected in his activist life so far, leaving the room somewhat speechless. But hatred seems unable to touch him, he even formulated a little answer to him: The "Because We Had You, Tarik-crying-Mimimi Hymn."

Purple - Ghost
We do not share this attitude. On the contrary, Tarik is authentic and sympathetic, the lecture was very good, it shook up a little and made you think. At the same time, it was so positive that in the end, there was hardly a queasy feeling of hatred left out there. Tarik's goal is to reach the mainstream and as an older lady explains that she had little knowledge of the subject before, but now she would like to see it on a talk show, you get the feeling that this is really possible. In the spirit of fellowship we let the evening end with drinks and bagels. A successful first colourful day, which makes you want more.