The PROUD project aims to raise awareness that LGBTI rights are human rights, and the protection of human rights is a fundamental EU value. The project addresses the ongoing social challenges faced by LGBTI individuals in Greece, despite legal progress in recent years. This objective will be realized through a public awareness campaign leading up to the annual EuroPride parade, scheduled to take place in Thessaloniki in June 2024.
EuroPride has historically played a crucial role in advancing the social acceptance of LGBTI people in EU countries with conservative contexts. Thessaloniki Pride successfully secured the hosting rights for EuroPride in June 2024, with an expected participation of 40,000 individuals from across the EU. The strategic linkage of the project with the preparation and execution of EuroPride is anticipated to enhance its immediate impact.
Target Groups:
The project has three main target groups:
a) The LGBTQI+ community throughout Greece
b) The general public (specifically LGBTQI+ relatives, professionals such as teachers healthcare and social workers, businesses/employers, police officers, older generations)
c) Policy-making bodies (government, parliament, diplomats)
Activities:
- Public awareness campaign on LGBTQI+ rights and European values of inclusion and acceptance, implemented through Outdoor visibility actions (bus stop ads) in Athens and Thessaloniki. The campaigns reached ~300,000 impressions in Thessaloniki and ~1,000,000 impressions in Athens.
- Online campaigns using relatable concepts such as love, family, parenting, and companionship to foster wider public identification and impact. The campaigns generated over 10,000 impressions via Thessaloniki Pride’s social media channels
- Organisation of a high-level panel within the EuroPride 2024 conference with over 300 attendees in Thessaloniki, featuring speakers from academia, civil society, diplomacy, and politics, addressing inclusion and equality in a European rights context.
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