The Belgian Pride in Brussels is set to take place on Saturday 20 May. While organising committee The Belgian Pride (with article ‘the’) has been silent on Facebook since May 2022 (!) RainbowHouse Brussels just launched a call for activities for the pride accompanying Brussels Pride Week which lasts ten days and is set for Wednesday 10 to Saturday 20 May. 

It’s a recurring theme. The Belgian Pride is almost completely silent until only a few weeks before the event: the pride parade in the streets of Brussels. 

Quite a few issues

The Belgian Pride is a organisation run by the three umbrella organisations for LGBTQIA+ in Belgium. RainbowHouse Brussels in Brussels, Fédération Prisme in Wallonia and çavaria in Flanders. 

Until a few years ago, The Belgian Pride had a paid employee to coordinate pride. But that doesn’t seem the case nowadays and it shows. From the outside, the three umbrella organisations seem to not get along and individually way less active than some five years ago. 

What has happened? There are a few issues. 

Money

Firstly money: governments subsidize the charities less than previously, so these organisations have less means to organise. Money issues puts anyone under pressure and forces people to make choices they don’t want to. 

Zeitgeist

Secondly: less volunteers. A phenomenon which started way before COVID-19 but which the pandemic only enhanced. People are less keen to volunteer and to commit themselves to a project long term. 

This had big repercussions on what is called the civil society. Citizens rely on paid employees of charities in all sectors to organise things instead of taking action themselves, perhaps supported by said employee. 

Life is objectively busier than ever before, FOMO is everywhere so committing to go to meetings and actually organising things is less en vogue.

What do we even want? 

Thirdly. No-one is happy. The rainbow community is divided on issues, on ideas and on goals to achieve. What do we want? Well, there is no consensus. 

Specifically regarding organising a pride there are those who want to celebrate. Pride as a large party. Most people come to party and do not reflect on the chosen theme. They just want to have fun. 

Others want pride to be less mainstream, more political, less heteroconforming and Salonfähig (acceptable for the general public). More ‘Pride is Protest’, refusing (some) political parties and police services the access to the parade. 

Finding consensuses is almost impossible nowadays. In politics, in society… and in the ‘community’. LGBTQIA+ are as divided and divising as anyone else. Are we even a community?

So?

Sadly, these three challenges reflect on the (non) working of The Belgian Pride. 

Queer Belgium

• RainbowPages: interactive website promoting visibility, findability and safety by and for LGBTQIA+ people.
• Forbidden Colours helped over 500 queer refugees to flee war in Ukraine .
• Flemish LGBTQI+ press support rainbow community in Ukraine.
• ‘LGBTQIA+ BXL, Collecting Memories’ Exhibition in Brussels City Museum.
• MSK Gent – Museum of Fine Arts Ghent introduces LGBTQ+ tour.
• Full edition ft. parade and festival days for Antwerp Pride 2022.
• Rainbow zebra crossings of Antwerp.
• ANTWERP | LGBTQIA+ bookshop Kartonnen Dozen stops.
• Darklands 2022 programme, schedule, gym and concert – 4 to 9 May in Antwerp.
• BRUSSELS | Exploring gay intimacy and sexuality at ‘In The Mood For Love’ exhibition.
• City chronicle ‘De kleur van de stad maakt mijn ziel amoureus’ recounts Queer Antwerp history.
• ‘Masculinities: Liberation through Photography’ exhibition at FOMU, Antwerp’s photography museum.
• REVIEW | David Hockney double exhibition at Bozar Brussels’ arts museum.