Moments of pride, liberation, and empowerment at our first prides. The joy of the first “YES.” The joy of acceptance and support from our loved ones. We count kisses, loves, and all the “I love yous” we once feared we would never hear.
Sisters, brothers, and loved ones we’ve lost to the violence and hatred that targeted us and continues to target us in dark alleys, on public transport, in crowded squares, and even in our own homes. We count beloved people lost due to state indifference during the AIDS epidemic, those who didn’t fit into the suffocating framework of patriarchy and normalcy. The women publicly shamed in 2012 as HIV-positive – an institutional decision of disgrace and stigmatization – that cost human lives. We remember Zackie, Anna, Diona, and many more names we may never know.
The civil union, legal recognition of gender identity, marriage for same-sex couples, the protection law for intersex minors, and the growing visibility and representation of LGBTQI+ individuals in institutions and public spaces.
Moments of disappointment from the state, the educational system, the media, our own people, people we met for the first time, and people we don’t even know, yet who have already stigmatized us. From the justice system, which appears weak, inadequate, and even unwilling to hold responsibility in cases of structural violence and state negligence – such as the shipwreck in Pylos and the tragedy in Tempi – the ongoing lack of accountability and trust in institutions is clear.
Battles for visibility and the acceptance of the LGBTQI+ community, which we proudly carry forward from previous generations that fought for dignity and equality. From the Stonewall uprising in June 1969, the first major protests by trans, gay, and lesbian people, and the first prides on Strefi Hill and in Pedion tou Areos in the ‘80s and ‘90s, to the weddings in Tilos, the first prides in Greek provinces, and the ongoing fight for inclusion and acceptance in institutions and society.
Right now, more than ever, the global situation shows us that no achievement is guaranteed. Instead, our rights and our very existence are questioned daily. The rise of the far right and the normalization of hate speech in political and media discourse pose a threat to all of us. The exclusion of LGBTQI+ refugees and immigrants is growing, leading to multiple forms of exclusion driven by racist, sexist, homophobic, or/and transphobic motives.
For all of this, our presence in public spaces will continue to be an undeniable right, a historical duty, and an act of resistance against a harmful public discourse that seeks to erase us.
The fight for equality is continuous and unwavering. We are here, and we will continue to be here, to carry it forward.
For the twentieth year, on Saturday, June 14, we will meet at Syntagma Square, bringing with us the countless moments of joy and sorrow, victories and losses that have shaped us, and we will unite with hundreds of thousands in this grand day of celebration, activism, and remembrance.
20 years… and counting!
Learn more about the pre-festival events of Athens Pride 2025 here.
