Welcome to participate in The Internationale Pride 2006, Zagreb - the first international East European Pride to be organised in East and Central Europe.

Invitation to participate in first East European Pride in Zagreb

Dear friends,

Zagreb Pride Organising Committee for 2006 has launched an initiative to (co)organise a regional Pride event in Zagreb, Croatia. We would like to use this opportunity to announce the first East European Pride, which is simultaneously the fifth Pride event taking place in the capital city of Zagreb.

The Pride event will be held under the title:

English: THE INTERNATIONALE PRIDE 2006, Zagreb – To live freely
French: L’INTERNATIONALE PRIDE 2006, Zagreb – Vivre librement
Croatian: INTERNACIONALA PRIDE 2006., Zagreb – Zivjeti slobodno

So far, we have agreed on organising a three-day happening [22nd – 25th of June], which will include a Pride Parade on 24th of June 2006, the screening of Pride films, including Pride documentaries/Pride footage from the region, a round table entitled “The freedom of assembly and Pride violence”, as well as other educational and entertaining events.

The Internacionala Pride aims to include:

1. Participation of persons from Eastern Europe;

2. Pride speeches delivered by guests from the region, especially by those individuals/organisations unable to organise Pride events in their countries due to the prevailing sociopolitical climate;

3. Performances by persons from the region, i.e. guest performers representing their countries.

The organiser of the East European Pride is a Regional Committee comprising persons from the territory of former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia).

The Pride event is envisioned as a means of drawing attention to the issue of the freedom of assembly, having in mind that out of all former Yugoslavian states only Slovenia and Croatia have a tradition of organising Pride events, whereas the attempt to organise such an event in Belgrade, Serbia, ended in a bloody showdown between the police and the counter-protesters, with the participants heavily beaten up. This year’s Pride which bring together the representatives of those countries where the sociopolitical climate is not ripe for the organisation of Pride events in cities and towns, or where such a manifestation is expressly forbidden by the authorities.

The freedom of assembly is often seen as a key element to the existence of democracies. However, in recent years, there have been bans and limitations on the right to freedom of assembly of LGBTIQ population in several countries in the Eastern European region. The goal of this year’s Pride event is to raise awareness about the violation of this right and show solidarity with the LGBTIQ population and organisations in those countries in the region where Pride events cannot take place to the prevailing sociopolitical climate, or where such events are expressly forbidden by the authorities. We want to raise awareness of the general public about the violence directed against LGBTIQ persons and their oppresion, as well as to empower this community though public Pride events.

The Pride is suported by several of LGBT organisations from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia (including Kosovo/a) and Romania.