First Regional Pride in Zagreb

15 June 2006

From June 22 to June 25, 2006, Zagreb will host the first regional pride procession for rights of LGBT persons, �Internacionala Pride 2006, Zagreb � Live Free�. The pride and the related events will last for four days, and the pride parade itself will be held on Saturday, June 24, on Zrinjeva. The parade starts at 10:30 hours.

Internacionala Pride 2006 is a result of cooperation and participation of activists and organizations from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, B&H, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Poland, Slovakia, Rumania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia.

According to the public release of the organizers, the political platform of the Organizing Board is queer-feminist, and the values rest on politics of peace; feminism; fight against homophobia; opposition to all forms of violence against animals; promotion of environmental care; protection of labour rights.

This Pride aims to focus the public attention on the issue of freedom fo public gathering, which is considered the pillar of existence of all liberal democracies. Nonetheless, over the past several years, we have witnessed repeated attempts to limit the freedom to public gathering, freedom of speech and expression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, trans-sexual, intersexual and queer persons in many countries of Eastern Europe.

In Southeast Europe, only Slovenia and Croatia have established tradition of Pride Parades. The Belgrade attempt to organize a pride parade in 2001 ended with an attack on the participants and the police, many of whom were beaten up badly. For that reason, this year�s Pride will gather representatives from those countries of Eastern Europe in which, out of socio-political reasons, it is not possible to organize Pride events, or such manifestations were banned by local or national authorities.

This year�s Pride aims to raise the public awareness about such violations of rights and demonstrate its solidarity with the LGBTIQ persons and organizations coming from countries in which Pride parades can�t be organizes.

For additional information and the programme of events, visit www.zagreb-pride.net.