Flowers and Flashmob start Gay Pride Festival
09/05/2011
Submitted by
ILGA-Europe
Original source: http://www.azi.md/en/story/18181
The 10th Annual Gay Pride Festival in the Republic of Moldova commenced today with two public actions, a flower-laying and a flashmob.
The festival, entitled ‘Rainbow over the Nistru', opened this morning with a commemorative ceremony at the Victims of Repression Monument, in the Poste Vechi district of Chisinau. At 11am groups of people came to pay homage to victims of homophobia in the Republic of Moldova.
Marije Cornelissen, a Dutch Member of the European Parliament, travelled from Brussels to attend the service. She stated, "I think it is extremely important to support this kind of event, because if there is a group of people in a society that still doesn't have the right to be themselves then there is no true freedom in that society at all".
Also in attendance were members of the local LGBT community, international volunteers and British Ambassador to Moldova, Keith Shannon.
Afterwards, GENDERDOC-M, the festival organizers, provided transport to the city centre where they had planned a more light-hearted surprise flashmob. Around thirty people walked down 31st August Street, carrying multi-coloured balloons before releasing them into the sky opposite the National Library.
GENDERDOC-M's Coordinator for Advocacy, Angela Frolov, explained that the holding of a Gay Pride in Moldova was important for the LGBT community, in order for its members "to feel free, that they are not alone, as well as to show that their rights can be protected".
There will be an official opening ceremony this evening at the Faranon Entertainment Centre, followed by an awards show for the winners of the contest- ‘Promoting Tolerance towards LGBT Community within Society'.
More information about the festival and its events can be found at www.lgbt.md.
The 10th Annual Gay Pride Festival in the Republic of Moldova commenced today with two public actions, a flower-laying and a flashmob.
The festival, entitled ‘Rainbow over the Nistru', opened this morning with a commemorative ceremony at the Victims of Repression Monument, in the Poste Vechi district of Chisinau. At 11am groups of people came to pay homage to victims of homophobia in the Republic of Moldova.
Marije Cornelissen, a Dutch Member of the European Parliament, travelled from Brussels to attend the service. She stated, "I think it is extremely important to support this kind of event, because if there is a group of people in a society that still doesn't have the right to be themselves then there is no true freedom in that society at all".
Also in attendance were members of the local LGBT community, international volunteers and British Ambassador to Moldova, Keith Shannon.
Afterwards, GENDERDOC-M, the festival organizers, provided transport to the city centre where they had planned a more light-hearted surprise flashmob. Around thirty people walked down 31st August Street, carrying multi-coloured balloons before releasing them into the sky opposite the National Library.
GENDERDOC-M's Coordinator for Advocacy, Angela Frolov, explained that the holding of a Gay Pride in Moldova was important for the LGBT community, in order for its members "to feel free, that they are not alone, as well as to show that their rights can be protected".
There will be an official opening ceremony this evening at the Faranon Entertainment Centre, followed by an awards show for the winners of the contest- ‘Promoting Tolerance towards LGBT Community within Society'.
More information about the festival and its events can be found at www.lgbt.md.
