Europe's attempts to police speech test its liberal credentials
Should the Finnish Lutheran church sponsor the Pride parade, a festival of rainbow flags and sexual inclusivity? Many might argue that a staid institution would do well to show prospective parishioners that it has kept up with the times. Paivi Rasanen is not among them. A staunch conservative, mother of five and member of parliament since 1995, she questioned on social media whether the church endorsing Pride was compatible with the Bible's teachings on sin and shame. An accompanying picture of some of the book's less tolerant passages made clear her own conclusions. That was in 2019. The temerity of her questioning has resulted in six years of police investigations, prosecution, trials and the threat of a hefty fine.
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Rhyl Journal
20 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Prestatyn Pride: Celabatory and colourful...and necessary?
On Saturday, the Prestatyn Pride parade through the town included many members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. They included drag performers The Royal Serenity, Opal Rose, and Heather Boa, business owners, charity fundraiser Richard Kendrick, and Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin. Prestatyn Pride. (Image: Newsquest) Also in the parade was the mother of The Vivienne, known out of drag as James Lee Williams, who grew up in North Wales. James, who passed away earlier this, was an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ+ rights and safe spaces, and this week featured on a list 'celebrating the most influential LGBT+ changemakers of the past year.' Prestatyn Pride parade. (Image: Newsquest)Many of the businesses in the town centre were decorated in support of Pride, and people of all ages attended the parade through the town and the Pride event at the Cross Foxes pub. Promoting the event, Prestatyn Town Council said: "Celebrate love, inclusivity and diversity. Everyone is welcome!" A post shared by Rhyl Journal (@rhyljournal) But not everyone was happy. After the event, Conservative MS Gareth Davies questioned the need for a Pride event in a small coastal town like Prestatyn. He posed several questions on behalf of "many constituents" on social media. The questions have been responded to by Prestatyn drag performer The Royal Serenity, who has been nominated as a Positive Role Model Award for the LGBTQ+ community in the National Diversity Awards 2025. "I'm a resident of Prestatyn, and a former member of Prestatyn Town Council. "Never in my five years on the Council did the notion of Prestatyn Pride ever come up, and I was only on there between 2017-22, so hardly back in the stone ages! "And before you start, this is not an anti-gay post, far from it. "I fully support the progress that has been made over the years and decades in terms of the laws and rights that gay people have in comparison to yester year. "And I have many gay friends and have employed gay people. "But I have to draw the line somewhere, and speak up for the many constituents who have contacted me on this matter, in asking: "Who wanted this event and called for it? "Who funded it? "Is it in the best interests of the residents of Prestatyn and surrounding areas? "Who does it benefit? "There are many more questions, but that's the bones of it. "We've got to remember that Prestatyn, in comparison, is a very higher age demographic in comparison to the rest of the Vale of Clwyd, and pretty socially Conservative. "And where those residents won't make much noise publicly, they'll do it through me and other people to voice their concerns. "So the general plea would be. "We're not Liverpool, Manchester or a major city. "We're very small coastal communities where such things matter much more than if it were in bigger areas. "It's the Town Council to make those decisions and I won't do anything to get in the way of that. "But they're my own remarks and analysis as your local MS which I have every right to." (Image: Newsquest) "In the past five years hate crimes against the LGBT+ community has tripled to an 112% increase with 22,839 homophobic hate crimes being reported in England & Wales just last year. "Pride may not have been something you would discuss five years ago, but it's something we need to be discussing now. "To answer some of the questions: "'Who wanted this event?' Everybody who was there. The people who lined the streets with rainbows. The hundreds of people who filled the grounds to celebrate together watching a fantastic day of entertainment. "'Who funded it?' Mainly sponsors such as The National Lottery Community Fund "'Is it in the best interest of the residents of Prestatyn and surrounding areas?' Clearly the answer is Yes. It brought a lot of people from outside towns to Prestatyn for the day/weekend. Some of whom may have been their first time getting to see the beauty of Prestatyn. They would have spent their money, taken photos, and even planned on returning. An increase to Prestatyn's economy and popularity is an excellent thing. "'Who does it benefit?' Not only does it benefit Prestatyn's economy from Bars, to eatery's, to hotels, and shops; but it also benefits both the LGBT+ community and those who do not identify as LGBT+ alike. It benefits us because in the hugely scary world filled with so much threat and hatred toward us for simply existing; we get to come together to show that we are not going anywhere, we have always been here and we always will, we will not hide to make you feel more comfortable about yourself because we have a right to exist, a right to live, a right to love, and a right to be proud. "A 2021 study shows that the risk of suicide attempts is almost 3x higher for people in the LGBT+ community, someone who is struggling with their own personal identity experience can see the Pride events and know that they're not alone, they're not 'broken', what they feel is normal and we will protect you as a community. "And it benefits everybody else because it's a brilliant day out! Yes, there are huge popular pride events in the cities across the UK. "I have been lucky enough to perform at and host some which have had thousands of people in the crowd but it's the smaller pride events like these that are also so so important. "Firstly, not everyone can travel to the further away cities, and not everyone feels comfortable being in those huge crowds. This brings to event to them. Bringing Pride to small towns like Prestatyn is crucial for LGBT+ visibility, community building, and challenging ignorance. Not only do they create safe spaces for individuals to be themselves and connect but it also helps those who may have felt isolated or those who didn't know how to get the resources or the support they need. "Everybody has the right of free speech. But that does not include abusive, hateful, disgusting comments about another human being just celebrating life. Your ignorance is astounding. If you are one of those people who genuinely are intrigued as to why we have pride events, parades, and protests and why they're so important then please respectfully ask the questions and we will respectfully respond. "We're all in the planet together, we're all humans, don't waste your life hating a community that is never going away."
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Tens of thousands march in Romania demanding LGBTQ equality
BUCHAREST, June 7 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Romanians joined an LGBTQ Pride march in Bucharest on Saturday, demanding civil union partnership legislation and equal rights after a highly-contested presidential election last month buoyed the far right. The European Union state has so far ignored a 2023 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found Romania had failed to enforce the rights of same-sex couples by refusing to recognise their relationships. Socially conservative Romania decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, decades later than other parts of the EU, but still bars marriage and civil partnerships for same-sex couples. "We want legal protection for same-sex couples, an easy legal procedure for transitioning, protection against hate speech and prejudice-based crimes," said Teodora Roseti, president of Romanian LGBTQ rights organisation ACCEPT and Pride's organiser. In Bucharest, marchers danced and carried the rainbow flag 20 years after the first Pride parade was held, carrying banners such as "Love is the worst feeling you could hate", "Equality in love, equality in inheritance. Civil partnership for all". Roughly 30,000 people attended the parade, ACCEPT estimated. The march comes at a fraught moment in Central and Eastern Europe, where far right parties have gained ground. Poles held a similar parade on Saturday. Hours before the Romanian march, a smaller anti-Pride protest took place, with participants demanding an Orthodox Christian nation and waving flags carrying the Celtic cross, a known far-right symbol. In Romania, centrist Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan ultimately won the presidential election against hard-right opposition leader George Simion, a strong opponent of LGBTQ rights. ACCEPT and LGBTQ rights group Mozaiq warned of a rise in hate speech against the community during the election campaign, and their headquarters were defaced. In neighbouring Hungary, parliament passed legislation earlier this year that de facto bans holding Pride marches.
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Poles march for LGBTQ+ equality after presidential vote raises fears
GDANSK, Poland, June 7 (Reuters) - Thousands of Poles took part in a Pride march in the northern port city of Gdansk on Saturday, showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community amid fears for its future after nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki won a presidential election. Participants waved rainbow flags and the blue, pink, and white banners representing the transgender community. Many carried placards bearing messages such as "Love is love" and "12 years together - when civil partnership?". A parallel Pride event was also held in the western city of Wroclaw. Nawrocki, supported by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, has raised alarm among LGBTQ+ advocates. During its time in power from 2015 to 2023, PiS made opposition to what it termed "LGBTQ+ ideology" a central part of its platform, framing it as a threat to traditional values in the predominantly Catholic country. "I was devastated to be honest," 23-year-old student Agata said when asked about Nawrocki's victory. "I am scared. I don't know what our future looks like." Although LGBTQ+ issues were less prominent in Nawrocki's campaign than in that of his PiS-backed predecessor Andrzej Duda in 2020, his platform included commitments to resist "ideology in schools" and to oppose adoption by same-sex couples. He has stated that marriage should remain between a man and a woman and, while rejecting civil partnerships, expressed a willingness to discuss legal recognition for a "close person", regardless of sexual orientation. In contrast, a pro-European coalition that came to power in 2023 introduced a draft bill to legalise civil partnerships. However, with the presidency holding veto power, the bill's future remains uncertain. Agata said that she hoped a law on civil partnerships could come into effect, but that it was unlikely during Nawrocki's presidency. "I want more equality in our society, in our country," she said.
