Vienna's Strobachplatz to be renamed "Helga Pankratz Platz
Vienna sets a clear sign for the LGBTQI+ community and renames the old Strobachplatz, located at Strobachgasse/ Schönbrunner Straße, to Helga Pankratz Platz. 40 years ago, Helga Pankratz did true pioneering work in the lesbian movement. Among other things, she was also a co-founder of the first Viennese lesbian group. Now this honorable work has been duly honored with the change of name. The likelihood that this icon of the scene will now become even more present in people's minds - even outside the community - is accordingly high.
What did Pankratz do for the homosexual movement?
Helga Pankratz was not only a co-founder of the first lesbian movement in Vienna, but has also worked in other ways for the rights and promotion of the LGBTQI+ community. Most recently, she was a board member of the Minorities Initiative at Resis danse women's dance club. At the same time, she was also active in other projects to promote the LGBTQI+ community. She also supported domestic sports clubs that provide a safe place for sports activities especially for LGBTQI+ members.
Her notoriety further increased when she became the main author of the regular column "From a Lesbian Perspective". Last but not least, it was she who founded the "Queerconnexion". This is an educational building for students, where prejudices about the community should be reduced.
In 2000, she received the Gay And Lesbian Award(G.A.L.A. for short). The award honors "special services to the legal and social equality of lesbians and gays in Austria".
A tribute to a very special activist
Unfortunately, Helga Prankratz passed away much too early as a result of cancer shortly before her 55th birthday. Thus, regrettably, she can no longer witness her commitment and work being honored. But until the end she was always active for the rights of the community and never lost her sense of humor "by theway".
Many of her former companions are very happy to witness how the LGBTQI+ community can celebrate small and big successes again and again. These particular milestones might not have been achieved the way they were if it weren't for brave men and women like Helga Pankratz... And thankfully, still are.
The joy about the special recognition of Helga Pankratz's commitment was also quickly reflected in the social media. Especially the active and young LGBTQI+ community was proud that such a conspicuous statement was now made quasi in the middle of Vienna.
Despite everything: The goal of complete equality is still a long way off
Over time, the gay and LGBTQI+ movement has been able to celebrate small (and sometimes large) successes. One of the most recent examples of this is the developments in Switzerland and the referendum there, which shows that same-sex couples are now allowed to marry.
Nevertheless, in the society - so often described as "open" and "tolerant" - there are still people or entire countries that do not recognize the rights of queers and even want to further restrict them in places.
A particularly current example in this case is the country of Hungary, which repeatedly opposes the values of the EU in terms of acceptance of members of the community.
A statement like the renaming of Vienna's Strobachplatz, which some people might consider a "small thing", is therefore much more meaningful than it might seem at first glance.