Seventeenth Edition of Antwerp Pride Lets Many Voices Be Heard

The seventeenth edition of Antwerp Pride will take place this year from Wednesday, August 7, to Sunday, August 11. Yesterday was the press conference at the Radisson Blu in Antwerp where Antwerp Pride showed their program and theme of this 17th edition accompagnied by the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever.

The opening party at the Open Air Theater Ter Rivierenhof will have a new format, and for the first time, the Antwerp Pride Parade will be broadcast live on all streaming platforms and on ATV.

Many Voices. One Protest

Many Voices. One Celebration

Many Voices. One Parade

Many Voices. One Pride

With these slogans, Antwerp Pride is preparing to immerse the city in rainbow colours for the seventeenth time. It has become evident during the recent election campaign that there are dark clouds trying to push away the rainbow. Additionally, the figures from the recent research by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights are alarming.

“Half of Belgian queers do not dare to hold hands in public or avoid certain places out of fear of violence. Two-thirds are bullied at school. 60 percent of LGBTQIA+ youth do not feel safe at school. These are not cheerful figures,” said Antwerp Pride Chair Geert van Praet. “The right-wing movement and the anti-gender movement are sweeping across Europe. It no longer happens only at the edges of Europe or in distant countries, but also here. On the eve of IDAHOT, the candidates of Mister Gay Belgium marched through the city with a rainbow flag. They were jeered at on the Grote Markt from the terraces. During the recent election campaign, harsh language was often used when referring to our community.”

As Antwerp Pride, we want to draw a line in the sand and say: up to here and no further. We will not retreat, and we certainly will not go back into the closet! We want to move forward! But we can only do this if we all stand on that line. Together! Each with our own voice. Hence ‘Many Voices. One Pride’. But you can also replace ‘One Pride’ with ‘One Protest’ or ‘One Celebration’.

“Our community is very diverse. We have many associations. Each of these associations has its role, its goal, its supporters, its opinion. Sometimes we may disagree among ourselves, and that’s okay. But during the Pride, we show unity,” added Geert Van Praet.