Instead of marching through the streets of Bratislava, this year the Rainbow PRIDE Bratislava Festival took place in a much more intimate atmosphere. After a month of mostly online events, the 11th year of the Rainbow PRIDE culminated on Saturday evening with the main program. Due to anti-pandemic measures, this also took place online with several musicians and speakers, e.g. the Minister of Justice Mária Kolíková, the Public Defender of Rights Mária Patakyová as well as the Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo taking part in it.
The main theme of this year's Rainbow PRIDE was celebrating the stories of parents of LGBTI and transgender people. The Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová also took part in a discussion with parents, who spoke about the perils of the system handling gender reassignment with their children. In 2018, Waldemar Švábenský lost his transgender son Gabriel to the ineffective system and the lack of understanding for his situation. Aspiring visual artist Gabriel took his own life before reaching the age of 20.
"In more progressive countries, Rainbow Pride is a celebration, a carnival in fact. In Slovakia it is still an event that fights for human rights. Once it becomes a celebration here too, and I help to make it one, it will be my tribute to Gabriel and the fact he didn't die in vain," said Waldemar Švábenský.
A joint declaration by more than 40 signatories, including a large number of foreign embassies present in Slovakia, states that "as international friends and partners of Slovakia, we are united in reaffirming that all persons, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity, should fully be able to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms". The signatories want to encourage tolerance and respect for all in Slovak society.
The event in Bratislava regularly faces criticism from several sources. For example, the non-parliamentary Slovak National Party criticized the public ombudswoman for supporting the festival "by abusing her position and flying a rainbow flag at its office." According to the party, the ombudswoman is here to protect all citizens, not only minorities.
