Pride Gent 2019 Gent

Info

The first ever Queer Pride Gent will take place on Saturday 11 May 2019. The Vrijdagmarkt and the Anseeleplein will get ready for, and transform itself into, a safe haven for all queer people and their sympathisers. Queer Pride Gent is rooted in the spirit of inclusivity and appreciation of any sexual or romantic orientation and gender identity/expression as well as of any other social identity marker, including but not limited to class, ethnicity, disability, age, belief and geographical origin.

Anyone is welcome at Queer Pride Gent, which is therefore an open invite for participation in one or more of the diverse, alternative activities it has in store, including a Queer Fair, performances, debatesand the further fulfilment of a LGBTQ+ monument by #LHBTMonumntGent and allies.

Unlike many commercially- and institutionally-driven pride events in urban capitals, Queer Pride Gent departs from critical community engagement and aims to strike an alternative note. Prejudice, ignorance and aggression often originate from a lack of knowledge and progressive insight. Not being able to put oneself in someone else’s shoes is a pity, yet the unwillingness to understand the other is a disgrace. That is why Queer Pride Gent wants to bring people together from all walks of life and provide them with the opportunity to look deeply into each other’s eyes. Above all, Queer Pride Gent is a peaceful protest against social norms, institutions and structures that oppress sexual, social and cultural diversity and freedoms.

This debut edition of Queer Pride Gent is an initiative of various local volunteers and activists. As Queer Pride Gent wants to safeguard the free, non-commercial nature of this event, it only solicits voluntary contributions from sympathisers.