The falling rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits this year at Bergen Pride. The programs were held in Det Akademiske Kvartet (the Academic Quarter), a building near the university that functions as a meeting space for students. It set the vibe for the events with a trendy coffee shop, a movie theater, and several bars inside the different meeting spaces.
The organization Skeiv Verden (Queer World) invited us to speak in a panel discussion about global queer rights, just like last year. We represented Hungary and the United States, while a third activist from Uganda joined via zoom.
Our biggest take-away from the panel was that although our countries are far apart, we are all connected. Sadly, the political situations in all our countries are hostile to the LGBTQ+ community and we are witnessing a backsliding in terms of queer rights. Each country is influenced by similar conservative, Christian, and far right ideologies that create a negative discourse about the LGBTQ+ community. Hearing the situation of the Ugandan community, who can face criminal charges, physical violence, and even death for being LGBTQ+ was sobering. We felt honored to be on a panel with activist Frank Mugisha who so bravely stood up for the cause. His courage was just another example to us that it is always worth fighting for equality. We are all connected. Our local fight for equality is a global fight for equality.
