In the town hall were speeches were delivered by representatives of various partners, the Brussels regional minister Pascal Smet and the Brussels mayor Philippe Close. “The 15 days of activities around the Pride Festival have the opportunity to reflect upon a black figure, that of the homophobic aggression”, stated Close. “Who are rising compared with the average of the past five years. That increase in numbers also means that people are more likely to dare to complain, even though there is still work to be done on the way these complaints are registered in the basement.”
More than 200 people Friday night participated in the kick-off of the Belgian Pride Festival until may 19, which runs in Brussels. The highlight is on may 18 the Pride Parade.