LGBT Tourism is one of the most popular choices for leisure and adventure. Unfortunately not every Ukrainian tourist can afford visiting European Prides. But there are some pleasant exceptions. From August 11 until August 17 Prague will host the 4th edition of the Prague Pride 2014 Festival, one of the main themes of which will be development of relationships between gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of East and West.
Trip to Prague can be planned in a very budget-friendly manner. And for those who won't be able to come, organizers created an opportunity to participate remotely.
So, first things first.
1. Live participation in the Pride activities
Organizers are ready to assist you with the letters of support for submission to the Czech Embassy to obtain a visa. Moreover, lists of those willing to take part in the Pride will be submitted to the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs, therefore there won't be any problems with visa. It is possible to receive discounts in friendly hotels and hostels.
2. Remote/Virtual participation
For those who won't be able to participate in the events personally, a special web-site www.LGBTavatars.cz was created. Everyone willing is able to register there and create their own profile account. On the web-site each "virtual participant" can find their own "live avatar" – a person who will be a live participant of Prague Pride 2014 and will share messages, photos and short videos via Internet or mobile applications in real time. Owing to the fast and secure Internet channels every gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person will be able to see Prague parade through the eyes of their пражский парад глазами своего "live avatar", feel the atmosphere of the event, march through the old Prague and discuss what is happening. Furthermore, this is a good chance to find new friends. Who knows, perhaps, virtual participant and his "live avatar" will meet in the future and become friends?
Prague Pride 2014 is an opportunity to find new friends, receive lots of impressions and, of course, to see Prague not only on the pictures.
From the press release of the Organizers of Prague Pride
Compared to Western Europe, the Czech Republic has a lot of catching up to do in terms of LGBT rights; however it remains to be the most tolerant country from the former Eastern block. This is the reason why the organizers of this year's Prague Pride decided to support gays and lesbians west of the Czech Republic who to this day face persecution by their country and extremist groups in the society.
This year we provide an opportunity all gays and lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders who cannot express freely in their countries will get the opportunity to attend this year's Prague Pride parade live or from a distance.
"The communication on the website is very well secured and does not require any personal details in order to assure the safety of our Eastern guests, there is no need to enter any personal data that can be traced during the registration", – underlined in his interview the director of the festival PraguePride Czeslaw Walek. Those who do not enter the interaction with a concrete "live avatar" can still access the public contents on the website.
The main theme of Prague Pride 2014 is also reflected by a festival visualization in the style of political posters from the 50's. The president of Prague Pride and his partner Willem van der Bar became the faces of this initiative. In May, they got married in the Netherlands, a country that offers equal rights to same-sex and mixed-sex married couples. This poster is a great example of common ground between the West and the East and how they unite no matter where are you from – if there is love, there is also strength to overcome hate.
Prague Pride 2014 is going to be a week full of cultural and social events, debates and activities in the festival village, this time anchored in Containall on the banks of the Vltava river.
For more information or any questions, please contact the Project Manager: Bohdana Rambouskovа, bohdana@praguepride.com, Tel.: +420 606 191 154
Автор: UPO “Gay Alliance Ukraine”
