On June 22, Skopje hosted the fifth pride parade organised under the slogan ‘Spectacularly disobedient’. This small jubilee of the Skopje pride parade took place amid escalating hate speech against the LGBTIQ+ community on social networks and a strong nationwide mobilisation by the anti-gender movement.

The Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia led #TeamEurope’s participation in the march thereby underlining the EU’s commitments to equality, inclusiveness and respect for human rights. The ambassadors of Germany, Spain, and Lithuania and the Head of the office of the European Investment Bank in North Macedonia joined the initiative of Ambassador David Geer to march together at the parade.

Ambassador Geer congratulated the organisers of the fifth Skopje Pride saying that this fifth anniversary represents an excellent achievement for the LGBTIQ+ community and an important celebration of diversity, equality and inclusion. “Everyone marching is simply asking for equal rights with other citizens,” said Ambassador Geer.

In a short video filmed on the occasion of the fifth pride parade in Skopje, he also referred to the traumatic experiences that members of the LGBTIQ+ community sometimes face during childhood, within families, at school, at work and in society more generally. He called for action to address these challenges and solidarity among civil society rights activists as well as effective responses from the State institutions in response to hate speech and intimidation of members of the LGBTIQ+ community in North Macedonia.

“It is very important that all activists come together and work as one to support the community. I am particularly concerned at the cases of hate speech and intimidation we saw in the run-up to the pride. This has to stop. There is also a role here for the authorities to make sure that this kind of behaviour is not tolerated,” concluded Geer.

Based on preliminary reports, about a thousand activists, human rights supporters, members of the diplomatic community and citizens from North Macedonia and abroad gathered in central Skopje. They marched along the already established route, from the parliament to the City Park. Among them was Irena Cvetkovikj, director of the Coalition Margins, co-organiser of the Skopje Pride. She told the local newsroom ‘360 degrees’ that the LGBTIQ+ community of North Macedonia is a very responsible member in the society who unfortunately never gets the same feedback from the country. “The LGBTIQ+ community has always been a responsible member of this society. We fulfil our obligations to the state, but we don't get the same back. Our rights are not respected. This community, which especially this month has been subject to radical hate speech in the public sphere, in a still dignified manner, proudly, comes, protests and even manages to celebrate and have fun in the end,” she said.

In response to the growing hate speech comments against the LGBTIQ+ community, Ambassador Geer expressed his concerns on his ‘X’ profile and called for actions that will ensure equal treatment for all.

• Tweet: https://x.com/AmbassadorEU/status/1804604271515533720

Notwithstanding these concerns, and thanks to the excellent organisation and security support provided by the Interior Ministry of North Macedonia, the Skopje Pride parade took place peacefully, without any physical incidents.

The march was followed by an entertainment spectacle, which featured a drag show and party with some of the best local DJs. It was a safe zone for everyone from the LGBTIQ+ community, their friends and families who gathered to protest and celebrate at the same time. It also represented a great opportunity for many visitors to share their personal stories, experiences and provide support and encouragement to each other.

Among those was a mother of a transgender child who addressed the participants at the start of the march. She stressed the importance of acceptance of LGBTIQ+ children by the family, peers and society in general, and highlighted the value of events such as the Pride parade. She appealed to all parents of LGBTIQ+ teenagers and youth to become their children advocates.

Kocho Andonovski, a member of the National Network against Homophobia and Transphobia and the organizing committee of the parade explained to Meta news agency why the name of the 2024 Skopje Pride edition is ‘Spectacularly Disobedient’.

“Disobedient because we want to reaffirm our opposition to the patriarchy that has ruled us for centuries. Spectacular as a hallmark of the community itself, and as a celebration of the fifth Pride anniversary,” concluded Andonovski.