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Do you remember Aqua from the 1990s? They are here to support World Pride Copenhagen 2021, Source: Facebook of Copenhagen 2021 WorldPride & EuroGames

Copenhagen and Malmö join hands across the straight – this time for World Pride

Copenhagen and Malmö join hands across the straight – this time for World Pride

This is the first time the world’s largest LGBTQ+ event will take place in Scandinavia and in two cities

The World Pride festival will take place between 12-22 August in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Malmö (Sweden). These two cities are showing yet again that transnational cooperation, or even amalgamation, is possible on many issues, be they infrastructural or socio-cultural.

World Pride 2021 will also be unique thanks to the inclusion of EuroGames on the agenda. These are sports activities for LGBTQ participants, similar to the Olympic Games.

Physical and digital events are on offer for this edition

World Pride was first held in Rome in 2000 and it has taken place since then according to an irregular schedule that relies more on improvisation than rigidity. Reportedly, Copenhagen was chosen as the host city for 2021 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Gay Liberation Front’s Danish chapter.

GLF was the first organization established to openly advocate and fight for the promotion of gay rights following the Stonewall riots in 1969, which started the gay liberation movement. For that reason, New York, as the epicentre of these historic events, hosted the World Pride festivities in 2019 – commemorating their 50th anniversary.

Malmö's World Pride Park in Folkets Park and Copenhagen's WorldPride Square on Rådhuspladsen will be the hotspots during the ten days of celebrations. These queer social oases will count with their own food stalls, cafes and stands.

The Glyptoteket and the National Museum in Copenhagen will contribute to the fun with queer theme exhibitions. Fluid Festival on Gammel Strand Square in Copenhagen will be a meeting place and a celebration of women, gay and non-binary people.

Malmö, on its part, has arranged activities for the youngest at Youth Pride, a separate room with seminars, workshops and lectures for those between 13-19 years. Throughout the festival, the Human Rights Forum in Copenhagen will also contribute with a comprehensive human rights program that has a number of talks and lectures.

The opening parade will take place in Malmö on 12 August (5 pm) at Malmö Stadium. Organizers, however, have only provided for close to 600 people to participate in it, with more audience in the stands which can accommodate up to 3000 people. The severe limitation in participants is necessitated by anti-pandemic restrictions.

The organizers also informed that Danish pop stars Aqua, known for their megahit 1990’s hit ‘Barbie Girl’ will donate a share of the royalties from another song of theirs, ‘I Am What I Am’, towards World Pride Copenhagen 2021.

The closing event is scheduled to occur on 22 August in Copenhagen.

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