Pride Week Kicks Off in Luxembourg

Luxembourg Pride Week will run from Friday 1 to Sunday 10 July 2022; this year’s special edition forms part of the Esch2022 – European Capital of Culture, with many of the planned LGBTQI+ pride events set to take place in Luxembourg’s second largest city, Esch-sur-Alzette.

LGBTQI+ rights in Luxembourg

Today, Luxembourg is considered one of the most progressive countries in Europe in terms of LGBTQI+ rights. However, this was not always the case and still now there is room for improvement.

Whilst civil partnerships have been available in the Grand Duchy since November 2004, the country did not legalise same-sex marriage until 1 January 2015. On this same date, same-sex couples were granted full adoption rights and lesbian couples got access to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) as well as medically assisted insemination treatments. Luxembourg law also prohibits any discrimination based on sexual orientation or change of sex in the areas of employment, education, social security, healthcare and the provision of goods and services.

According to a special Eurobarometer on "Discrimination in the EU", published in September 2019, 87% of Luxembourg respondents agreed that gay, lesbian and bisexual people should have the same rights as heterosexual people and 85% believed that same sex marriages should be allowed throughout Europe – some of the highest percentages in the European Union (EU). Moreover, 72% of Luxembourg respondents agreed that transgender and transexual people should be able to change their civil documents to match their inner gender identity. Similarly, 89% of those surveyed in Luxembourg in 2019 said they would feel either totally or moderately comfortable having a gay, lesbian or bisexual person in the highest elected political position in their country (note that Luxembourg's Prime Minister since 2013, Xavier Bettel, is openly gay). Slightly fewer respondents said they would be comfortable having a transgender (76%) or intersex (73%) person in such a position. 61% believed that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was rare in Luxembourg, whilst 45% believed that discrimination based on being transgender or intersex was rare.

In 2022, Luxembourg ranked fifth in ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Europe index, which annually ranks 49 European countries on their LGBTQI+ legal and policy practices out of 100%. Luxembourg scored 68% overall for LGBTQI+ human rights in this latest rating. In 2021, however, the Grand Duchy was in third place with a score of 72%. The country lost marks in the most recent ranking for its failure to ban conversion therapy, for example; whilst it is not practised, conversion therapy remains authorised in Luxembourg. The index also indicated that the Grand Duchy lacks effective policies and laws aimed at combating hate crime against intersex people.

Among the demands of Rosa Lëtzebuerg asbl, one of Luxembourg’s main LGBTQI+ rights groups and organiser of Luxembourg Pride Week, is in fact a ban on conversion therapy, as well as certain changes to the Constitution of Luxembourg in relation to the areas of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, among others. Another demand relates to blood donation. Indeed, it was not until January 2021 that Luxembourg allowed homosexual men to donate blood – even then, this can only be done following a twelve-month period of abstinence from sex with other men.

Luxembourg Pride Week 2022

Rosa Lëtzebuerg asbl, founded in 1996, has been organising Luxembourg Pride since 1999. The event has since grown from a few information stands aimed at raising awareness of homosexuality among the Luxembourg public to a major festival attracting several thousand visitors to Esch-sur-Alzette each year. Initially called "GayMat", the festival was rebranded as "Luxembourg Pride" in 2019, on the occasion of its 20^th anniversary.

This year's Luxembourg Pride celebrations are taking place from 1 to 10 July, starting with the Luxembourg Queer Arts Festival at Bâtiment4 (Pride Headquarters) in Esch-sur-Alzette, from 1 to 3 July 2022.

A conference series on LGBTIQ+ activism in Europe is scheduled for Thursday 7 July 2022 at Maison du Savoir at the University of Luxembourg in Esch-Belval, from 14:00 to 21:00.

Following digital and hybrid editions in 2020 and 2021 respectively (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the popular Street Fest will return to Esch-sur-Alzette on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July 2022. One highlight will be the Equality March on 9 July, starting this time across the French border in the spirit of the Esch2022 motto "Remix Europe". Music, dance and other shows, as well as political contributions, are on the agenda. Celebrations will continue at the official Pride Party at the Pride Headquarters. On 10 July, the public can enjoy a big Rainbow Breakfast as part of Street Fest, against the backdrop of concerts, drag shows and other surprises.

Street Fest acts include Luxembourg’s George Philippart, DJ Pippa, CHAiLD and Edsun, as well as English singer-songwriter Boy George and his pop band Culture Club, who will be performing on Saturday 9 July 2022. The following day will see German singer-songwriter Daniel Schuhmacher return to the Luxembourg Pride stage, along with Eurovision Song Contest participants Jendrik, Poli Genova and French drag queen Leona Winter, as well as several other local artists.

The full programme is available online at: https://luxembourgpride.lu/