ANTWERP PRIDE 9-13 AUGUST 2023 ‘BRAVEOLUTION’ | Make Antwerp a brave and safe space

For a few years now, Antwerp Pride chooses a theme to develop the pride festivities and activities round. Such a theme gives some guidance but also talking points to get (media) attention. The theme will be mostly visible in human rights activities and less so during the festive parts of pride. For 2023 Antwerp Pride chose ‘Braveolution‘.

“For the sixteenth edition of Antwerp Pride – from 9 to 13 August – we want to make the whole of Antwerp a ‘brave space’, where the LGBTQIA+ community can be themselves every day of the year. With the theme ‘Braveolution’, we also call on everyone outside the LGBTQIA+ to have the courage to stand up for a more inclusive society”, Antwerp Pride spokesperson Wilfried Eetezonne says.

Year round

With ‘Braveolution’ as the theme, Antwerp Pride wants to think about how we can make Antwerp a brave space. Not only during the pride days in August, but all year round.

“If Antwerp were a brave space, everyone could develop into who they are within a respectful society and with the support of fellow citizens, colleagues, family, government,…”, Wilfried Eetezonne says.

“Then it would be normal to walk hand in hand with someone of the same gender identity or to dress in a way that goes against the imposed heteronormative norms. Then there would be no discussion about inclusive language use or gender-neutral toilets. Although we are very grateful that a lot has already been achieved in our society, in reality we notice that a lot of courage is still needed to take certain very simple steps.”

Inclusivity

The LGBTQIA+ community has been very courageous in recent decades by standing up for equal rights and striving for an inclusive society.

“Even today, it still takes courage to come out, to be who you are every day”, says Eetezonne. “With Braveolution, we want to reach out to all of society to be equally courageous and we want to say: have the courage to stand up to discrimination and respond if you witness it. Have the courage to install that gender-neutral toilet in your school or company. Have the courage to learn and use the new pronouns. Have the courage to support someone going through transition….If we want to move to that inclusive city, it is not just up to the queer community to be brave, it is everyone’s job because everyone benefits from a free and respectful society.”

Antwerp Pride starts this year on Wednesday 9 August and closes on Sunday 13 August. More information about the Antwerp Pride program will follow later.