The 15th edition of the Pride Parade - the peak of the Prague Pride festival which took place from 27th July to 3rd August - started at the Wenceslas square, wound through the city and ended at Letná Park. Over a hundred other activities of the event included workshops, concerts and STI testing.

Prague Pride organisers made a point of acknowledging the rising pressure the LGBTQ+ community has recently faced in Eastern Europe. The theme of this year’s event was “Kde Domov Můj?” (“Where my home is?”), highlighting the search for a safe space that most LGBTQ+ people at the parade said they face. 

Despite these changes, many participants said that Pride remains a safe space for them. “The [political] context is always bad” said Annie (18) while painting a bisexual flag on her right cheek. Max (17), her girlfriend, agreed, adding that: “Despite everything, Prague Pride is still a place where I can be whoever I want to be”.

For many people, like the elderly couple Lenka and Martina, the parade was an opportunity to feel seen. The two were celebrating their one-month wedding anniversary, but have been attending Prague Pride for many years.

The fight for equality brought Jaroslava (35) and Viktor (33) to the parade. The pair came with their 3-year-old daughter, Marie, who danced around in a colourful dress with a pride flag in her small hand. Her parents have been bringing her there since she was born.

The Prague Pride association, the organizer of the event, was founded by Czech activists in 2010. This year’s festivities attracted everyone from locals, to famous activists such as Omar Sharif Jr. or Eurovision song contest winner Conchita Wurst.

The event was also attended by the prominent politicians, such as Zdeněk Hřib, the ex-Mayor of Prague. Markéta Pekarová Adamová, speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, is a patron of this year’s Prague Pride festival.