Pride is a celebration of LGBTI lives and communities, but it is also a space where people come together to exercise their rights, speak out and stand up for equality.
This year’s WorldPride in Amsterdam brought hundreds of thousands of people together, 25 years after the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. At a time when Pride events across Europe are facing increasing political hostility and restrictions, the celebration was also a powerful reminder of why Pride continues to matter.
Sign our open letter to Protect Pride. Protect Democracy.
WorldPride also provided a space to look at how we can challenge the growing hostility towards LGBTI people. On 6 August, the Council of Europe and the European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups launched a new communication toolkit to help religious communities counter hate speech and promote more inclusive language.
Creating spaces where LGBTI people can be visible, participate and speak freely is part of protecting the democratic freedoms that Pride represents. This is why our Protect Pride. Protect Democracy. campaign continues to call on everyone to stand up for these freedoms.
Join us in calling on her and the European Commission to help protect Pride across Europe.
ILGA-Europe news
We are hiring an Advocacy Director
We are looking for a political strategist to lead ILGA-Europe’s policy, advocacy and strategic litigation work across Europe and Central Asia, and to lead the team behind it.
Resist and Rise: our Annual Conference 2026 logo is here
We’ve launched the logo for this year’s Annual Conference in Dublin, inspired by our theme, Resist and Rise. The Irish translation, Seasamh is Éirigh, captures the spirit of standing firm, taking a stand and rising together.
The Frontline: How Pride Became Democracy’s Front Line
In the latest episode of The Frontline, Chris Kremidas-Courtney from Defend Democracy and the European Policy Centre and Hripsime Kizogyan from Pink Armenia discuss why attacks on Pride are often an early warning sign of wider threats to democracy, and what this means for LGBTI communities across Europe and beyond.
We Need to Talk About Democracy: Communications Guide launch
Eight LGBTI organisations from across Europe have spent the past year testing messages and approaches through ILGA-Europe’s Democracy Lab. Their learning is now brought together in a new communications guide on talking about democracy, LGBTI rights and the issues that matter in people’s everyday lives.
Join us online on 22 September for the launch and to hear how organisations can put these ideas into practice.
Latest news
ASYLUM
ILGA-Europe calls for fundamental rights to be upheld in Ceuta
ILGA-Europe has called on Spanish authorities to ensure dignified reception, access to asylum procedures and individual assessment for people arriving in Ceuta, including protection for LGBTI people facing particular risks.
MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Slovakia refuses to register same-sex marriage despite EU law
Slovakia has rejected a gay couple’s application to register their marriage, which they entered into in Austria in 2020. The European Commission criticised the decision, stressing that EU Member States are obliged to implement CJEU judgments, while the couple plans to challenge the decision in court.
HATE SPEECH
Pride colours restored after repeated vandalism in Iceland
The Progress Pride flag painted on the steps of a Lutheran church in Reykjavík was vandalised in July, with the rainbow colours painted over in the colours of Iceland’s national flag. The church has since restored the Pride colours, but the incident has sparked a wider debate about the growing use of national symbols in anti-LGBTI and anti-immigration politics in Iceland.
LEGAL GENDER RECOGNITION
Attacks on LGBTI people are a warning sign for democracy
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that growing attacks and restrictions targeting LGBTI people across Europe are part of a wider backlash against human rights and democracy. In an opinion published on 3 August, the Commissioner highlighted rising violence, hate-motivated harassment and restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression, warning that LGBTI people are often among the first targets when democratic freedoms come under pressure.
Pride is more than one month
This Pride Month, engesser marketing supported ILGA-Europe with a donation to help advance LGBTI equality and human rights. As part of their Pride content, Sarah from engesser marketing spoke with Luca Dudits from ILGA-Europe about why support for LGBTI people matters beyond Pride Month and why safety, rights and the freedom to live openly should remain part of the conversation all year round.
Notice board
- The EU published its 2025 Human Rights and Democracy in the World report, highlighting LGBTI rights as an area of concern and engagement in several countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan. Read the report.
- TGEU welcomed Juliane Rosin as its new Executive Director. She brings more than 15 years of experience in feminist and LGBTI organising, advocacy and organisational leadership across Europe and Central Asia. Read more.
- IGLYO is hiring a permanent Finance & Operations Manager and a Programmes Manager, with applications open until 8 and 13 September respectively. Apply here.
- IGLYO is inviting LGBTQI young people to take part in its 2026 School Survey, sharing their experiences of school to help improve safety and inclusion for LGBTQI learners across Europe. Take the survey by 30 September.
- The European Commission launched a CERV call for proposals to protect and support victims and survivors of gender-based violence, with funding available for organisations working in this area. Apply here by 5 November.
