Von Anna Konstantinidi Apergi, Sonderberaterin – Diversity Charter Greece
Every year, as June approaches, the same question resurfaces among those who feign outrage over LGBTQI+ visibility and the community’s rights.
We need Pride events as long as hate crimes, racist violence, discrimination, exclusion, and policies that treat human rights as something negotiable continue to exist.
We need Pride events, especially since trans and gender-diverse people are being attacked on the street because of their gender expression or identity.
As long as LGBTQI+ individuals are afraid to report incidents of violence, and as long as hate speech continues to proliferate in the media, on social media, and, unfortunately, all too often in political discourse itself—even within Parliament itself.
See also: Landmark ruling by the ECJ. It requires legal recognition of gender identity in all Member States
The European Union, of which our country is a member (whether some people like it or not), has repeatedly recognized that hate speech and hate crimes against LGBTQI+ individuals constitute a serious threat to the rule of law and democracy.
The European Parliament resolution of October 25, 2018 calls on Member States to condemn and punish hate speech and the scapegoating of victims by politicians and public officials, recognizing that such behavior normalizes and reinforces violence in society.
Similarly, Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5 emphasizes that states must take effective measures against hate speech based on sexual orientation and gender identity, while public authorities must refrain from making statements that could be interpreted as legitimizing discrimination or hatred.
Finally, the European Parliament resolution of December 18, 2019, on public discrimination and hate speech against the LGBTQI+ community, calls on Member States to strengthen the investigation of hate crimes and ensure effective protection for victims. And yet, at the same time, a worrying regression is taking place. Fundamental rights are being challenged, while the concept of equality is subject to constant political negotiation.
In the face of this reality, Pride events are political demonstrations of visibility, democracy, and the fight for rights.
However, at the same time, self-criticism is also called for.
You know, defending rights isn’t just about colorful flags, public events, and social media posts. It requires strong institutional intervention, participation in public consultations, the development of policy proposals, and sustained pressure on the government.
It is not enough to simply denounce this regression. We must get involved when policies are being shaped. We must be there when bills and national strategies are being discussed in committees and institutions. Because that is where rights are decided before they reach the streets.
Pride events, then, will continue to be necessary as long as there are people among us who live in fear and do not feel safe, as long as violence and hatred find a platform to express themselves, and as long as our human and individual rights are treated as an optional political choice.
And unfortunately, in the year 2026, we still have a long way to go.
