Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ community supporters went to the streets of the Romanian capital Bucharest on Saturday for the annual Gay Pride march. According to AP, the participants of the march of all ages passed through the streets of Bucharest and after the central class of victory, many waving rainbow flags, whistling whistles and held banners with the inscriptions: “Be proud, be brave, be yourself!”
This event has been held every year since 2005, and this year’s march was also a celebration of its 20-year existence. It took place shortly after a series of elections that caused the company’s uncertainty was completed in Romania. The instability was also reflected in the increase in the support of the far -right and conservative political personalities and parties.
The number of hate acts has grown
Victor Ciobotara, CEO of Accept Association – LGBTQ+ Rights Group, in an interview with the Associated Press, said that during the electoral cycle 2024-25 his organization recorded a “huge increase” of hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community.
“We had more people’s complaints about harassment on the streets or attacks,” he said. “These hate speeches do not remain without effect. We feel tension in society … We will continue to fight for our rights regardless of the political climate,” he said.
Shortly before the escort, the Accept Association reported a large transparent with the inscription “Stop LGBT”, which someone covered the facade of an abandoned apartment building in Bucharest. The poster was then removed.
Assembly also organized right -wing groups
“These types of events are now more legitimized by hateful discourse, which has been spreading all these years and during election campaigns,” Ciobotara believes, but he added, “We will not be afraid to go to the streets.”
On Saturday afternoon, right -wing groups organized their gathering in Bucharest, which advocates traditional family values and are against the marriages of the same sex. Many waved the Romanian tricolor, others held banners with an icon depicting.
In the Rainbow Map of 2025, which evaluates the legal and political situation of LGBTQ+ persons across Europe, Romania ranked last among all 27 EU countries. Just above it are in the ranking of Poland and Bulgaria.
