Around 2,000 people kicked off this year’s Antwerp Pride at the Rivierenhof open-air theatre on Wednesday evening. Organisers and attendees say that togetherness as a community remains necessary amid growing intolerance.
The theatre in Deurne hosted the launch of the annual festival of the LGBTQIA+ community. “This continues to be necessary,” says organiser Wilfried Eetezonne. “More than half of all queer people avoid neighbourhoods for fear of violence, or do not dare to walk hand in hand in the street. Coming together and showing who we are remains an important signal.”
Antwerp police have recently noted a rise in reports of intolerance against the LGBT community. “That may not mean that tensions are increasing, it may be that people are finding it less of a taboo to go to the police with a complaint,” said spokesperson Kim Bastiaens. “We respond to this very strongly. We want to make sure the Pride can run safely and correctly and be a celebration for everyone. We also report serious incidents to the public prosecutor’s office.”
Coming together and showing who we are remains an important signal
Increasing intolerance is something that many of the people attending Wednesday’s festival launch recognise. “There are forces in our society that question our right to exist. More so than before. That’s why Pride is more important than ever,” said one.
Pride will last for five days and will culminate in a parade of 48 floats through the centre of Antwerp on 10 August. Organisers are expecting 150,000 spectators. For the first time, the parade will be streamed on VRT MAX with interpretation and commentary.
The city is deploying police officers along the route of the parade, in uniform and plain clothes.
“There are many different communities in Antwerp. We want the city to be liveable for everyone,” Bastiaens said. The police’s diversity team “interacts with certain groups so they can flag up certain issues. They constantly monitor if there are trends and will sensitise both police colleagues and citizens.”