Rainbow Pride in Košice to support sexual minorities

Running under the rubric 'The Rainbow Binds Us Together', Košice's Rainbow Pride parade is set for Saturday, September 26 and will be replete with various activities geared toward making the rights of the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexual) community more visible to the public. It's the third annual such march in support of the rights of people of non-heterosexual orientation in the eastern Slovak metropolis. According to the organisers, this year will be bigger and more colourful than in the past. "We have also prepared a festival after the march which allows participants to enjoy the incredible atmosphere of such an event, so we can draw on this atmosphere all year round. It gives us the courage to live our lives in truth", said event director Robert Furiel. "We're convinced that Slovakia needs a festival such as Pride, so that people don't forget about the situation of LGBTI community. We feel like the society-wide discussion has subsided after the February referendum [on protection of the traditional family]," said Furiel, adding that the community needs to take advantage of the positive results of the referendum. Rainbow Pride in Košice is a voluntary non-profit event sanctioned by the civic association Saplinq and organised by a group of activists. Financial support was provided by the US embassy, the Slovak-Czech Women's Fund and private donors.