Pride Parades Take Over Zagreb, Bucharest, Sofia

 Sofia

Members of Croatia’s LGBTIQ community and their supporters gathered in front of the Mimara Museum in Zagreb on Saturday for the capital’s 17th Pride March. This year’s Pride March comes in the midst of a rise in hate speech and racist rhetoric in Croatia. Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/DAMIR SENCAR/EV

During the event, its organisers, the Zagreb Pride Association, presented their demands for the authorities on behalf of the LGBTIQ community. These include a more liberal approach to abortion rights and to put an end to conservative referendum initiatives aimed at stifling the rights of individuals, and in particular women. Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/DAMIR SENCAR/EV

They also want to enable all transgender persons in Croatia to have unconditional legal recognition of their gender and to break down all forms of conversion therapies or procedures to change sexual orientation or gender identity. Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/DAMIR SENCAR/EV

Hunderds of people gathered for this year’s march, which was also attended by politicians and local celebrities. Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/DAMIR SENCAR/EV

Photo: In May, the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance warned of an increase in public hate speech against ethnic Serbs, Roma and members of the LGBT community. Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/DAMIR SENCAR/EV

Members of Romania’s LGBT community attend the Gay Fest pride parade in Bucharest. Photo: EPA-EFE/Bogdan Cristel

About 2,000 people attended the parade in Bucharest. Photo: EPA-EFE/Bogdan Cristel

For more read the full of article at The Balkaninsight