Across Europe and around the world, the far right is gaining ground. LGBTQIA+ rights are being violated, and Pride events are being banned or restricted. In Hungary, the government has attempted to restrict Budapest Pride. In the United Kingdom, recent court rulings have reignited debates about the legal definition of gender and its consequences for the trans community. In the United States, bans on gender-affirming care and systematic exclusion measures directly target trans people.

Broadly speaking, over the past few years, sexist and anti-LGBTQIA+ hate speech has proliferated online, driven by masculinist circles that are viscerally opposed to gender equality and often view gender and sexual orientation diversity as a threat. When flags disappear and hatred becomes political, the community responds with visibility, solidarity and resistance.

Hate speech and violence are on the rise — in public spaces, on social media and in political debates, including here in Belgium. Too many LGBTQIA+ people still feel unsafe, particularly on the streets, at school and in sports clubs. Transgender and intersex people and LGBTQIA+ refugees are attacked and dehumanised in Belgium as elsewhere in the world.

For thirty years, Brussels Pride has embodied struggle, resilience and progress. As the capital of Belgium and Europe, Brussels has a responsibility to continue moving towards greater equality. It must combat multiple and intersectional discrimination. Organisers also call for our constitution and laws to be amended to combat hate speech online and in all media (hate is not an opinion) and urge that it be made clear that it is necessary to protect all LGBTQIA+ people, whether they are visible or not. Lastly, they call for international human rights treaties to be supported, developed and enforced.

For 30 years, Brussels Pride has been putting people who are made invisible in the spotlight. They demand the right to safety, health, family and protection and call for the rights of all to be improved.