ESC: Thessaloniki Pride

Thessaloniki Pride is a civil society organization, founded in 2012 in an attempt to promote the visibility of sexual orientation minorities (lesbian, gay, bisexuals etc.) gender minorities (trans and non-binary people) as well as of intersex people. Some of the objectives of the organization are: - To raise awareness in local community regarding LGBTI+ rights - To educate people and especially youngsters on LGBTI+ causes and foster allies in society - To fight for the equal rights of same sex couples as well as legal gender recognition - To counter discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression - To show solidarity to the LGBTI+ community of the Greek countryside, as well as other cities and countries, especially where the LGBTI+ people are most discriminated against. - To create a more tolerant society by promoting diversity and intersections with other vulnerable groups For this purpose, Thessaloniki Pride organizes a series of activities throughout the year with main focus on the festival that holds the organization’s name, an event which stands as the realization of the right of LGBTI+ people to be present in the public sphere and contribute to the public speech as such, ie. with their LGBTI+ identity. Apart from the annual festival, Thessaloniki Pride also organizes in regular basis: - Educational workshops and seminars - Cultural events - Empowering and networking activities with international, national and local partners - Advocacy to promote the rights of LGBTI+ people Thessaloniki Pride refers to LGBTI+ people living in the area of Thessaloniki and Greece in general and provides LGBTI+ people and LGBTI+ youth in particular with the opportunity to participate in the organizing of the biggest event concerning their community, become more involved in their community and learn more about activism. Through its activities and events, Thessaloniki Pride aims to raise awareness in the general public and involve other organizations and institutions to aid our cause and become more involved in it themselves, towards equal treatment, equal justice and equal opportunities for LGBTI+ people everywhere.