Poland and Portugal celebrate start of pride month with parades

Both Poland and Portugal marked nan opening of pridefulness period pinch parades held connected Saturday afternoon.

The period of June is celebrated arsenic pridefulness period crossed nan world, pinch festivals, demonstrations, parades, and different events bringing ray to LGBTQ+ issues.

Polish cities big Pride Marches 1 week aft captious elections

In Poland, Pride marches were held successful nan cities of Gdańsk and Wrocław, conscionable 1 week aft nan predetermination of conservative-nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who was endorsed by nan Law and Justice party.

This was nan 17th Pride Parade successful Wrocław, and nan 10th to return spot successful Gdańsk. In Wrocław, demonstrators group of from Freedom Square astatine 14:00, while nan "Tri-City Equality March" encompassing nan coastal cities of Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot took disconnected astatine 16:00. Both marches aimed to showcase nan cities arsenic inclusive towards each of their residents.

Several governmental leaders confirmed their information successful nan marches, including Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Minister of Equality Katarzyna Kotula, Mayor of Gdańsk Agnieszka Dulkiewicz and Mayor of Sopot Magdalena Czarzyńska-Jachim.

City councilor and president of nan Tolerado Association for LGBTQ+ rights, Marta Magott said successful an question and reply pinch nan charismatic website of Gdańsk that nan yearly march is simply a "reminder of freedom, solidarity, and equality". 

The arena was important successful Poland, which still ranks arsenic nan second-worst state successful nan EU for LGBTQ+ people, aft Romania, according to nan defense group ILGA-Europe, which publishes an yearly "Rainbow Map" ranking nan countries based connected governmental and societal factors.

Poland had occupied nan apical spot successful nan rankings for six years, and made marginal advancement since nan predetermination of nan conjugation authorities successful 2023, according to nan organization. Portugal, connected nan different hand, is successful 11th place.

A Pride March will besides return spot connected June 14 successful Warsaw.

Gay Pride March successful Lisbon warns of emergence of nan far-right

At nan 26th LGBTQI+ Pride March successful Lisbon connected Saturday, thousands of group lined nan avenues of nan capital's downtown to take sides quality rights, equality and non-discrimination.

The march near Praça do Marquês de Pombal astatine 16:30 pinch 1 of this year's mottoes being "Resist and not conscionable Exist", according to a associated manifesto published by 1 of nan organising movements connected societal media.

At a clip erstwhile nan far-right is person to governmental powerfulness and institutions successful Portugal and Europe, dislike reside and favoritism against LGBTQ+ minorities are resurfacing successful nationalist society, aft much than 50 years of achievements successful Portugal for equality and non-discrimination rights.

"The governmental forces that contradict our authorities are gaining organization space, marching is reaffirming that we don't backmost down, that we exist, that we resist," says nan Associação ILGA Portugal - Intervenção Lésbica, Gay, Bissexual, Trans e Intersexo (ILGA) connected its Facebook account.

"Hate reside is trying to go normalised," adds ILGA, and "we cannot disregard nan truth that state and populist are nether attack," warns. The group recalled that during nan 48 years of dictatorship, nan fascist authorities denied nan beingness of homosexuals and lesbians, who were persecuted. Portugal lived nether a dictatorship for almost 48 years.

Founded successful 1995, ILGA Portugal is nan oldest relation defending LGBTQ+ group and their families against discrimination. It is portion of ILGA World and nan Platform for Fundamental Rights of nan European Union Agency. "We are marching for nan correct to unrecorded pinch dignity, for each nan group who came earlier us, for those who are present and for those who are yet to come."

"This is simply a correct that has been won complete nan years successful Portugal, and coming it is nether threat," said Mariana Mortágua, coordinator of nan Left Bloc party, participating successful nan parade. “Nowadays, it's difficult to show for quality authorities without being threatened by utmost right-wing forces and without nan authorities doing thing astir it”, Mortágua added successful statements to Portuguese nationalist television, RTP.

"We person to support fighting for rights," said Hélder Bértolo of nan March's organising committee, "it's important to beryllium here, to raise our voices," he added regarding nan threat of acquired authorities being surgery successful nan look of nan emergence of nan extremist right. Bértolo said these authorities "have faded", particularly successful countries for illustration Hungary. "Germany, nan Netherlands, Poland and different European countries are besides moving successful this direction", nan spokesperson told reporters.

The 2025 version besides saw nan information of nan Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), which joined nan 18 associations and groups pinch governmental involution successful defence of nan LGBTQ+ community.