GamePro, GameStar, and MeinMMO shine in rainbow colors starting today. We explain why that is and what the PRIDE Month means to us here.
Hatred, intolerance, and violence have no place on our websites, in our lives, or in society. These are principles we stand up for all year round and adhere to.
The PRIDE Month has a particularly special significance for us, which is why we want to remind not only of the importance of PRIDE values for us and our communities, but also of what we do to stand up for them – not just in June, but anytime.
On June 28, 2026, the Stonewall Riots mark their 58th anniversary. Triggered by Marsha P. Johnson, this date is considered the international kickoff of the civil rights LGBTQAI+ movement, which fights for equal rights worldwide and is annually commemorated with PRIDE marches to remind the ongoing struggle for equality for all – regardless of skin color, ethnicity, background, national origin, social background, political opinion, religion, sexuality, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental abilities, marital status, or other legally protected circumstances. You can learn more about Pride Month here.
Why the Pride Month is still so important in 2026
The importance of the PRIDE message has not changed for 2026 – on the contrary. The significance of diversity, openness, and respect based on tolerance seems more important today than ever before, especially in the current political landscape, where they continue to face strong attacks.
In 2025, 2,048 cases of anti-queer hate crimes were reported in Germany, which means more than five anti-queer crimes every day (excluding unreported cases). Meanwhile, the family minister Prien (CDU) does not see diversity as a state funding goal and applied the scissors within the framework of the controversial restructuring of the “Live Democracy” program.
The current map of attacks on the rights of queer people in the USA paints a grim picture, as there are already almost as many anti-LGBTQAI+ bills in the first half of 2026 as there were in the entire year of 2025 – a statement we already had to make last year in comparison to 2024. Unfortunately, it is not surprising, after the United States already labeled basic UN resolutions and human rights guidelines as too woke
early in the year, significantly weakening global efforts for women’s rights, LGBTQAI+ rights, and the protection of marginalized groups with this blockade and withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council.
The ILGA-Europe Annual Report 2026 again clearly shows the increasing restriction of LGBTQAI+ rights in many countries, the growing normalization of hate speech, and a targeted influencing and censoring of the education sector to withhold access to information that can be life-saving for young people.
Ongoing research consistently shows that LGBTQAI+ individuals (especially youth) face a significantly higher risk of mental distress, depression, suicidal thoughts, and attempts compared to the heterosexual and cisgender population. However, this is not due to sexual orientation or gender identity but to the lack of support in everyday life as well as experiences of discrimination and exclusion, as The Trevor Project shows.
If you are experiencing severe depression, or are contemplating suicide or know someone who is, nothing is more important than talking about it. If you don’t want to confide in people close to you, you can anonymously, around the clock, and free of charge contact the German Telephone Counseling at 0800/111 0 111, via chat at the Online Counseling, or via the help phone
Mutruf. You can reach the organization at 04191/27 4928 0.
Amid all these very distressing developments, there are fortunately also small glimmers of hope. In a year of the Self-Determination Act (SBGG), which allows trans*, intersex, and non-binary individuals to change their gender entry and first name easily at the registry office, over 11,000 people in German cities took an important step towards personal freedom and legal recognition.
Thanks to the SBGG, Germany also made a leap in the European ranking for the rights of LGBTI people (the so-called RainbowMap): A year ago, we were in 8th place, and now we can celebrate 7th place!
The EU is also continuing to advocate for the rights of queer people and wants to strengthen them, as explained in the equality strategy for 2026-2030 by the European Commission. In April, the European Court of Justice classified Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ laws as a violation of EU fundamental values because they contradict the “identity of the Union as a common legal order in a society characterized by pluralism.” An important step and something that could change under the new government led by Péter Magyar. At least the Pride Parade in Budapest is allowed this year.
Why we are coloring our logos
As you can see, there are many good reasons why we at Webedia GmbH want to emphasize once again that we not only reject discrimination and racism in any form but also the active or passive exclusion or disadvantage of our fellow human beings.
By hoisting the rainbow flag on our pages, we not only show solidarity and as part of the PRIDE movement, but we also clearly state that values like tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion are non-negotiable for us. We show no tolerance for intolerance. Hate speech has no place here. This has never been the case and will never change, and those who do not see it that way are not welcome here at Webedia Germany or on our sites.
How we try to promote more tolerance every day
Having our logos shine in rainbow colors or repeatedly making a statement with articles like this is just one part of what we do to advocate for more tolerance.
On our websites, we not only bring content on topics such as diversity, accessibility, and mental health – both within themed weeks and in our daily reporting. With disclaimers on controversial individuals, incidents, or companies, we additionally try to provide context to dedicated news, columns, reports, podcasts, or streams on these issues. It is particularly important to us to inform not only those who actively seek information but also to sustainably and long-term reach those who might come to one of our pages for the first time and have not been aware of any of this before.
But many people are also working hard behind the scenes to make our websites, channels, and platforms a better and more welcoming place for all gamers.
The often exhausting work of our community management and our social media managers and moderators is often invisible from the outside, but that’s why it is so important and noteworthy. Many of the things they deal with daily are never seen by most of you.
Without them, it would not even be possible to have offerings such as a forum or a comment section to discuss our favorite games or the most exciting news about games, entertainment, technology, and lifestyle. Their tireless and hard work to make our communities a better place plays an essential role in our efforts to stand for more tolerance and acceptance in gaming.
Equally significant for us is also what happens behind the scenes at Webedia itself. Here we are continuously working to create an even better, more inclusive working environment for all employees.
Whether through special (mental) health offerings, workshops, and working groups, or a diversity committee that specifically works on issues related to diversity and inclusion within Webedia. Not everything we do is intended for the public or our readers, but that doesn’t make these things any less important.
A thank you to our communities
Finally, we want to use this opportunity to say thank you as we do every year. Thank you for standing with us against racism, intolerance, and hatred. You have often proven this in comments in the past, and you can be as proud of that as we are! Keep it up and do not let individual troublemakers mislead you.
Of course, not everything always runs smoothly with us, and there will always be comments that you and we do not want to read on GamePro, GameStar, GameStar Tech, and MeinMMO or on our social media platforms or YouTube. We will confront this together with our community management and our team of moderators, but we also rely on your support.
For fighting against racism, hatred, and verbal violence and striving for a better world works only in one way: together.
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