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Baltic Pride is an annual LGBT+ pride parade rotating in turn between the capitals of the Baltic states; Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. It is held in support of raising issues of tolerance and the rights of the LGBT community and is supported by ILGA-Europe. Since 2009, the main organisers have been Mozaīka, the National LGBT Rights Organization LGL Lithuanian Gay League, and the Estonian LGBT Association.

History

Latvia

The first pride event held in Latvia took place in 2005 under the name Riga Pride, as the local equivalent to other pride parades held elsewhere around the world. Political opposition to Pride emerged after organizers received a permit. The Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvītis publicly opposed the event, and Pride was officially sanctioned only after a court overturned a withdrawal of the permit. The deputy Mayor of Riga Juris Lujāns resigned in protest at the event going ahead.

Following public manifestations of homophobia surrounding the first event in 2005, some members of the LGBT community, their friends, and family members united to found the organisation Mozaīka (Mosaic), in an attempt to improve the understanding of and tolerance for LGBT rights in Latvia.

From 2006, the event was officially known as Riga Pride and Friendship Days, expanding the programme beyond a parade to include an ecumenical church service at St. Saviour's Anglican Church, and seminars on tolerance and LGBT rights. It was significantly disrupted by protesters from "No Pride", among other groups. The European Parliament expressed its disappointment at the failure of Latvian authorities to adequately protect the parade.

The event took place in Riga in 2007 and 2008.

In 2009 the march was allowed by the Administrative Court of Riga. It was the first to be called Baltic Pride and began a rotation annually between each Baltic state capital in cooperation with the Lithuanian Gay League, the Estonian LGBT Association (until 2012 known as Estonian Gay Youth) and their local Pride events.

At the 2012 Baltic Pride, 400 people marched in support of LGBT rights in Latvia, joining them were US diplomats showing support.

In 2015 the parade took place as part of the Europride event in Riga, the first time the pan-European LGBT rights week came to an ex-Soviet state.

In 2018, 8000 people marched in the pride parade held in Riga.

Opposition

Over the years, the event has been threatened by protests. In 2006, Riga City Council at first tried to refuse permission for the Pride Parade. Similar political debates surrounded the first Pride Parade in 2005.

The LGBT community in Latvia has been divided in its attitudes to the event. In a February 2007 survey of 537 LGBT persons by ILGA-Latvija, 82% of respondents said they were not in favour of holding the planned Riga Pride and Friendship Days 2007, while only 7% felt that these events would help promote tolerance towards sexual minorities. ILGA-Latvija, however, has since changed its stance and now is positive towards the Riga Pride and Friendship Days.

Lithuania

The parade took place in Vilnius in 2010; it was the first public pride march organised in Lithuania.

In 2013, the mayor of Vilnius attempted to relocate the parade to the riverbank (where it had taken place in 2010), on a remote street outside the city centre. Two courts ruled that he could not, and that the Baltic Pride had the right to use the same route other public demonstrations did.

Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius from the Liberal Movement has stated he has no opposition to the city hosting the 2016 parade. On 18 June 2016, a crowd of 3,000 Lithuanian LGBT* community members and allies participated in the Baltic Pride March on the central avenue in the centre of Vilnius. The march took place without any serious incidents. People marched from Lukiškių Square to Bernardine Garden, a total of 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi). After the march, the participants gathered at the Loftas art factory for a music concert, featuring performances by Dana International, DJ Leomeo, LaDiva Live, Maria Sam Katseva, Donny Montell, Ruslanas Kirilkinas and Sasha Song.

Baltic Pride was used to challenge the discriminatory application of the "anti-gay propaganda" legislation and to encourage public debate on the recognition of same-sex unions in Lithuania.

The 2019 pride took place between 4–9 June in Vilnius. Around 10,000 people marched in the gay pride on 8 June 2019.

Estonia

Pride parades have been organised since 2004 in Tallinn. The city hosted Baltic Pride in 2011, 2014 and 2017.

2020 Cancellation

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the organisation decided to cancel the event in 2020. The 2020 edition of Baltic Pride was planned to happen in Tallinn.

International support

Aside from ILGA-Europe, the event has also received consistent support from other LGBT organisations in neighbouring countries, most notably RFSL from Sweden and Amnesty International.

See also

• LGBT rights in Estonia
• LGBT rights in Latvia
• LGBT rights in Lithuania

References

1. "Latvia gay pride given go-ahead". BBC News. 22 July 2005.
2. "The Eastern European Gay Rights Movement Is Struggling to Be More Than a Western Cause". VICE News. 16 September 2015.
3. "Protests disrupt Latvia gay march", bbc.co.uk, 23 July 2005.
4. Mozaīka English-language homepage Archived 2008-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
5. Latvia: Promote Equality, Investigate Attacks on LGBT Pride Activists From Human Rights Watch (accessed 16 June 2015).
6. Riga Pride 2007 – Championing equal rights. From Amnesty International Archived 2015-04-07 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 9 June 2015).
7. New exhibition documents homophobia at Riga Pride. From Pink News website (accessed 9 June 2015).
8. Gays Without Borders: Baltic Pride Saved After Court Lifts Council Ban
9. First Baltic Pride will be celebrated in Riga next year. From Pink News website (accessed 9 June 2015).
10. Gay Pride marches on. From Baltic Times website (accessed 9 June 2015).
11. "News of the Day From Across the World". San Francisco Chronicle. 3 June 2012. p. A6.
12. "Liveblog: EuroPride 2015 in Riga". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 21 June 2015.
13. "Nauji | Vakarų ekspresas".
14. ILGA-Latvia Survey Working Group, poll conducted 1–28 February 2007. From ILGA-Latvia website Archived 2008-01-20 at the Wayback Machine (in Latvian) (accessed 13 May 2007).
15. "Successful Baltic Pride marches in Vilnius city centre for first time | The European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights". Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
16. "Future Vilnius mayor has "no problems" with LGBT pride events on central streets". Delfi. 16 March 2015.
17. Vilnius Celebrated Baltic Pride 2016
18. "Baltic Pride attracts record number of people in Vilnius – photos". 10 June 2019.
19. ERR (2020-03-24). "Таллиннский фестиваль сексуальных меньшинств Baltic Pride отменен из-за коронавируса". ERR (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-03-30.

External links

• Eesti LGBT Ühing Estonia official website
• Mozaīka Latvia official website
• LGL Lithuania official website
• News video from Riga Pride and Friendship Days 2008, including protests (in Latvian)
• Baltic Pride Facebook

• LGBTQ in Estonia
• LGBTQ in Lithuania
• LGBTQ culture in Riga
• Pride parades in Europe
• Recurring events established in 2009
• Festivals in Latvia
• Parades in Europe