EuroPride

Participators of the Europride London 2006 event

Europride is an international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender gay pride event that is hosted by a different European city each year. The host city is usually one with an established gay pride event, or one which has a significant LGBT community.

For up to a fortnight, numerous sporting and artistic events are staged throughout the city. The event usually culminates in a weekend, with a traditional Mardi Gras-style pride parade, live music, special club nights and an AIDS memorial vigil.

History

Europride was inaugurated in London, UK in 1992 with a crowd estimated at more than 100,000. The following year, 1993, Berlin, Germany hosted the festivities. Amsterdam. Netherlands, played host to the annual event in 1994 and it was a financial disaster. Europride left behind debts in the amount around 1,000,000 Dutch Guilders US$ 700,000).

In 1996 Europride moved to Copenhagen, Denmark where it had wide support from city leaders. The organizers had great success on all fronts, in fact they even managed to make a financial surplus.

Paris, France hosted Europride in 1997. The festival had numerous commercial sponsors and was widely hailed as a success. The parade had over 300,000 people marching to the Bastille. Stockholm, Sweden was the host city in 1998.

London once again was to host Europride in 1999 but was canceled due to the organizers going bankrupt.

In 2000 Worldpride replaced Europride. The event took place in Rome, Italy and was well attended by Gays and Lesbians from throughout the world. After initially supporting the event, city leaders pulled out just days before due to pressure exerted by the Pope.

In 2001 Vienna, Austria was chosen to host Europride. It drew large crowds from Central and Eastern Europe.

Köln, Germany in 2002 presented the largest Europride. Officials estimated the crowd to be well over 1 million people.

It has been hosted by Manchester, UK in 2003 which was a resounding success and Hamburg, Germany, in 2004. Oslo, Norway hosted it in 2005.

London hosted the parade in 2006 with a two week festival of events. Culminating in a parade on the final day, Saturday 1 July 2006, marchers were invited to walk down Oxford Street, one of the capital's busiest shopping streets, legally for the first time in the parade's history.

The parade was attended by famous faces including Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, Alan Duncan, Tory MP, and Peter Tatchell, Human Rights Campaigner.

Following the parade, three of the capitals squares were host to special events marking the festival. A rally in Trafalgar Square was attended by guest speaker Ian McKellen, whilst entertainment took place in Leicester Square and Soho Square. Many of the streets between the city's squares were closed off for Europride, making 2006 the first time London's main rally and entertainment areas of Pride were actually staged within the city itself, rather than in open parks.

Future

Europride 2007 will be hosted by Madrid, Spain.

Europride 2008 will be hosted by Stockholm, Sweden.

See also

• Gay pride
• Gay pride parade

External links

• Gay Press Organization
• Pride London organisers of Europride 2006 - July 1st 2006.
• Europride 2008
• photo gallery of the London Europride 2006