With the international term Pride (Greek: Festival of Pride) is known a series of events that can include from simple gatherings to parades, floats and parties. They are about the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex) population publicly claiming the dignity that every person should feel for their sexual identity, while openly celebrating their diversity and culture. At the same time, they are also a form of claims by the specific social group with the main goal of neutralizing the negative stereotypes, in which the thinking and practice of many people are trapped.

Thessaloniki Pride is a civil society organization that aims to strengthen the social visibility of gays, lesbians, bi, trans, intersex and in general any minority based on sexual orientation and gender identity or characteristics, as well as support of equality and their rights in Thessaloniki and the wider region.

Thessaloniki Pride was founded in the spring of 2012 with the initial aim of organizing the festival of the same name at a time when the city’s creative forces were going through a period of renaissance. After the unexpectedly great success of the first Thessaloniki Pride, the organization strengthened and expanded its activities in other fields as well. Over time, actions can be grouped into four categories:

1) Thessaloniki Pride, the central LGBTI pride festival of Thessaloniki every June, which is the realization of the right of LGBTI people to come out in the public space and take part in the public discourse in this capacity. The annual festival, which has established itself as Thessaloniki’s largest attended human rights event, appeals to the entire city as a celebration of diversity, liberation and opposition to the conservative past.

2) Information or social intervention events throughout the year, such as information days, workshops in schools, educational seminars, art exhibitions, radio broadcast, trainings of non-LGBTI actors on issues of gender and sexuality inclusion, provision of services to vulnerable LGBTI groups community, TV and online campaigns.

3) Civil society networking and empowerment actions, both horizontally with other LGBTI organizations at the national, regional and European level, and vertically at the local level among all civil society organizations in Thessaloniki.

4) Legal activism, mainly to activate the anti-racist law through reporting cases of homophobic and transphobic hate speech.

The organization of Thessaloniki Pride is based solely on the volunteerism and passion of the people who want to participate in it. Every donation – financial support to Thessaloniki Pride is important for establishing it as an institution in Thessaloniki and for its further successful course.

You can support the Organization voluntarily or by making a donation here.