In the Czech Republic, a strong right-wing neo-nazi movement serves as a constant threat to LGBTQI activists and minorities. As the LGBTQI community has become more visible in the country, the incidence of hate speech has increased. In the recent past, every pride event in every major city in the region has been the target of anti-demonstrations by this movement. In the spring of 2011, the movement unexpectedly increased its activities by marching against the minority Roma population and LGBTQI community in cities across the Republic. At the time, a group of LGBTQI organizations had already begun planning the first-ever Prague Pride (PP) events to take place in August 2011. However, given the increasing anti-demonstrations of the right, they needed to ensure the presence of heightened security throughout the four days. PP requested funds to increase the security of the participants at the events by hiring 60 unarmed security guards.
The mission of PP is to support, promote, and enforce tolerant civil society and equal opportunities in the Czech Republic. The purpose of PP events is to make the city more open and inclusive of the LGBTQI community, engage the general public, and advocate for a more open and tolerant society.
