Ljubljana Pride: How it all began

This post is also available in: Slovenščina (Slovenian)

“June 8, 2001. On June 8, the warden of the “Cafe Galerija” bar in the Ljubljana City Gallery, which is owned by the City of Ljubljana, bans gay poets Brane Mozetič and Jean Paul Daoust from entering. Explain to them that “we should get used to the fact that the bar is no longer for ‘people like that'”. Every Friday since then, there has been a protest drinking of mineral water in the bar – protesters drink mineral water as slowly as possible and thus reduce the profit of the bar owner. . . . . We do not live to see the condemnation, so preparations are underway for the “Bypass Around Intolerance – a March Against Homophobia”. (Taken from 20 Years of Chronology of the Gay and Lesbian Movement.)

20 years later, we drink mineral water again in the City Gallery. We drink it with pride when we remember the first parade. We drink it to mark an organized action, protest, and consequently all the changes that occurred through the uprising and the work of LGBTIQ+ activists. In the end, we drink because we have not forgotten our activist history, also because we know that for some we are still seen as “people like that”. We invite you to a symbolic street action to remember these times together with Brane Mozetič and Suzana Tratnik, drink a glass of mineral water and talk about how it all started. The event will be held in the Slovene language.

This post is also available in: Slovenščina (Slovenian)