Beyond the Rainbows and Glitter: Pride Around the World in 2023

Abstract

Pride today is a vital expression of the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) populations use Pride as an opportunity to protest unjust laws, celebrate progress, and enhance visibility.Outright International found that in 101 of 193 United Nations (UN) member states, LGBTIQ Pride marches or other public-facing LGBTIQ visibility events were held in 2023, with at least 61 of those countries holding Pride events in more than one city. In 92 states, no public Pride or visibility events were held, although LGBTIQ activists in these countries often organized events within private and safe spaces to commemorate Pride, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), or other key dates for LGBTIQ communities.In a global context marked by extreme highs and lows, with some countries granting LGBTIQ people, families, and identities full protection under the law and others seeking to eradicate sexual and gender diversity, many activists view Pride as pivotal for reinforcing advocacy, sustaining resistance against anti-rights actors, and being the change they want to see in the world. As a Brazilian activist put it, "Pride means my foundation, my life." Where Pride cannot be held, this lacuna limits platforms for advocacy and enforces invisibility.This report includes 11 case studies and three shorter "snapshots," zooming in on emblematic Pride events and those that offer lessons learned. While politicians in Argentina and El Salvador wax nostalgic for dictatorship and condemn gender liberation, Pride remains an avenue for democratic engagement by the populace. From Bangladesh to the US state of Florida, LGBTIQ movements are resisting an onslaught of repressive laws, and events like My Hollywood Pride and the online Dhaka Pride restate inclusive values and reframe narratives. Activists in Italy held at least fifty events in different regions, defying ongoing efforts by far-right politicians to curtail sexual and gender minorities' rights