An unlikely love, an unyielding law, a significant historical moment – a poignant novel about the right to love whomever you choose. In their historical novel "Pride began on Christopher Street," Christian Handel and Andreas Suchanek intertwine the dramatic events that led to the Christopher Street Day with a deeply moving queer love story.

New York 1969: Police officer Jake and free-spirited gay man Finn are separated by the law, their backgrounds, and their beliefs about who one is allowed to love. Nevertheless, Jake saves Finn from a brutal police assault. For Jake is also gay, though he has yet to admit it to himself, and an immediate spark ignites between them. Despite being trapped in their prejudices about one another, they begin to draw closer.

As the patrons of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street resist the police for the first time on the night of June 28, 1969, the two must decide which side they stand on. June 28, 1969 becomes a pivotal moment for Jake and Finn's love in the novel – and in reality, this day made history: The Stonewall uprising on Christopher Street marks a turning point for the LGBTQIA+ movement in the fight for equality and recognition.

In their equally dramatic and emotional novel "Pride began on Christopher Street," Christian Handel and Andreas Suchanek not only tell the story of an extraordinary queer love but also of the birth of Christopher Street Day. Just a year after the uprising, the event is commemorated in New York with a memorial march. Today, Pride parades, often referred to as Christopher Street Day (CSD) parades in German-speaking regions, take place worldwide as a vibrant celebration of diversity.