Council of Europe Office in Pristina

The first week of June marked the official opening of Pride Week with a series of activities supported by the Council of Europe Office in Pristina, reaffirming its commitment to equality, dignity and the protection of the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people.

The launch brought together activists, community members, institutional representatives and partners to celebrate diversity, reflect on progress achieved, and call for continued action to ensure that equality is lived in practice.

Speaking at the official opening of Pride Week,  Mary Ann Hennessey, the Head of Office, underlined that equality is not something to be requested, but a right that belongs to every person.

“LGBTQI+ people do not need to ask for equality. We are all equal. Our human rights have been earned by being human – no more, no less,” she stated. “While we celebrate diversity today, it should remind us that inclusion, respect and equality are not just keywords; they represent the beating heart of participatory and healthy democracies. Without them, democracy is just a dead word, just another method for distributing political power.”

She concluded with a clear message of solidarity: “Let the Pride be loud for all to hear!”

As part of Pride Week, the conference “10 Years of Pride, Resistance, and Action” marked a historic milestone for the LGBTIQ+ movement in Kosovo*. The event created a space for reflection on a decade of public organising, collective resistance and movement-building for LGBTIQ+ rights.

Inspired by the slogan “Equality or Revolt,” the discussions focused on the journey so far and the path ahead, highlighting the courage, resilience and determination of activists and communities who have stood firm for ten consecutive years.

Marking the anniversary, Mary Ann Hennessey emphasised that inclusion and equality are not privileges, but democratic foundations. “Inclusion, respect and equality are not privileges reserved for some; they are fundamental principles of democratic societies,” she said. “The next 10 years of Pristina Pride starts today — with radical trust in the future, with hope that refuses to be silent, and with the courage to change the things we cannot accept.”

Pride Week culminated with the Pride Parade under the slogan “Equality or Revolt,” bringing people together in a powerful public call for fairness, dignity and belonging. Pride is not only a week of activities — it is a call to protect human rights, strengthen democracy and ensure that every person can live freely, safely and with dignity.

The Council of Europe supported Pride Week through the European Union and Council of Europe Horizontal Facility Action on Combating Discrimination and Hatred.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.