Pride Month is just getting started! Flags are beginning to appear all throughout our cities, rainbows are the new norm and suddenly our cities are more colorful and welcoming. As you already know, here at Lokafy, we love to be part of the celebration and commemoration of Pride Month, learning more about its history, the way different countries participate, and of course, how it has influenced artistic and cultural spaces. The last few years, we’ve gone over the origins of Pride Month, how certain cities such as New York celebrate, and which are some of the most welcoming places globally (remember we discovered Valletta, Malta’s capital?). Well, to begin our coverage of 2024 Pride, we thought we could talk about one of Europe’s biggest Pride events: EuroPride.
We’ve probably mentioned EuroPride in past blogs, because last year it was held in Valletta. But we thought it would be important to understand a bit better what this event means and where it is going to be held in 2024. Generally speaking, EuroPride is a pan-European international event made by and for the LGBTQIA+ community that features a Pride parade and several conferences and other academic and cultural side-events. Every year, it happens in a different European city and it highlights the achievements and challenges that those specific cities and regions of Europe have in terms of inclusiveness.
EuroPride is the Old Continent’s biggest Pride Month event, that aims to bring together the whole European LGBTQIA+ community.
2024 EuroPride:
Thessaloniki, Greece, will host EuroPride 2024. It’s been a long time coming, because it was actually chosen as the host city during the Association's Annual General Meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2017! Originally, the city was supposed to host EuroPride in 2020, but due to the pandemic, it was not possible, and it was determined to move the date until 2024. Well, the time has come, and now Thessaloniki will host EuroPride in southeast Europe. Actually, it seems that the fact that this hosting duty was moved all the way to 2024 was positive, because in February gay marriage became legal in Greece! Can you think of a better way to celebrate the legislature's advancements of your country? Of course, there’s still a long way to go in Greece and in the rest of the world, but each victory must be celebrated as a step forward and a way to be closer to true equality and inclusiveness.
As a host city, Thessaloniki has pledged to combat LGBTQIA+ discrimination and become a beacon of hope for the community in the Balkans and beyond. Moreover, it has stated its desire to work towards the evolution of Europe, turning the continent into a completely safe and inclusive space for all genders, sexualities and expressions. Precisely, bringing the European LGBTQIA+ community together not only for a fantastic parade, but for important conferences, dialogues and debates regarding the state of the community in Europe, the actions that need to be taken and the challenges that must be addressed. For example, during EuroPride this year, some of the conferences that will be held are: Achieving Marriage Equality in Greece and Europe: Best Practices of Advocacy, Resilience and Policy Changes; Safe space at work and education: the rise of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility as corporate values; and Queer solidarity in times of war and conflict.
It’s been a long time coming, but finally, Thessaloniki will be able to host EuroPride 2024.
Persevere, Progress, Prosper:
Each EuroPride has its own slogan, a way to summarize what the host country wants to achieve with its event. For EuroPride 2024 in Thessaloniki, the slogan is very simple but has a deep meaning behind: persevere, progress, prosper. It reflects three pillars of the LGBTQIA+ movement and three elements that showcase the challenges, struggles, resilience and achievements of the movement throughout its history. Firstly, perseverance refers to the fact that despite the discrimination and exclusion that the community faces on a daily basis, it remains strong and thriving. Additionally, it is a way to acknowledge the difficulties related to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the postponement of Thessaloniki’s EuroPride. Secondly, progress indicates the LGBTQIA+’s fight for a better and more inclusive society in which everyone gets the chance to simply be themselves. Finally, prosperity is a dream in which we can achieve the well-being of everyone, and it refers to the fact that equality is a precondition for a prosperous society.
This event seeks to highlight the challenges and victories of the LGBTQIA+ community, showing its resilience and power.
Thessaloniki, a Loud and Proud Host:
We think that we’ve been pretty clear on the importance of EuroPride for the LGBTQIA+ community and the absolute honor that it represents to be the host city for the event. It is a celebration and commemoration, a safe space and the perfect place to discuss and dialogue about the next steps that need to be taken and the incredible achievements of the community. However, now that we’re clear on what EuroPride means, we wanted to end our blog by mentioning how charming Thessaloniki is, and the numerous things that make it a marvelous place to be the host of EuroPride.
To begin with, bear in mind that Thessaloniki has been hosting its own annual pride festival since 2012, and each year it has reached more and more people, with its highest attendance being 18,000 people. Yes, there are bigger or older pride events, but for a country that only legalized gay marriage in 2024, this isn’t small feat! Similarly, Thessaloniki has become a tourism hub in Greece thanks to its magnificent food culture, incredible nightlife and breathtaking landscapes, and fortunately, it has also been recognized as a favorite spot of the LGBTQIA+ community in the country.
Thessaloniki is a dreamy destination thanks to its delicious food, wonderful people and vibrant nightlife.
Thus, we invite you to mark your calendars from June 21 until 29 and head over to Thessaloniki to enjoy several days of celebration, music, art, dialogue and commemoration. From movie screenings to theater plays, conferences and concerts, there’s plenty to fill your days with creativity and a sense of community. And as the cherry on top, brace yourself to participate in the EuroPride 2024 parade on June 29, starting in the YMCA park and ending at the Statue of Alexander the Great. Here, you don’t stand watching as a spectator, but rather have an active participation marching, dancing and enjoying your time among other members of the European LGBTQIA+ community.
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