The topic

For more than a year now our world has been going through a state of pandemic. For more than a year now, and while its effects are being more intense to the most vulnerable groups, we expect the desired “return to normality”, as it is continuously reiterated. But which normality do we want to return to? For most of the LGBTI community worldwide, self-restriction and reduced social activity did not come with the quarantine measures, but existed before. Normality and prevailing models for disadvantaged groups include exclusion, institutional and social discrimination, oppression, and abuse. Especially with the recent wave of revelations about sexual harassment and rape and the various attempts to conceal them, it has become widely known that sexual violence is no rare phaenomenon, but affects a very large portion of the population. In other words, it is part of normalcy, a normality to which we do not want to return.
Undoubtedly, we all look forward to the end of the pandemic and the restrictive measures it entails; even more so when, under the pretext of a pandemic, especially in the case of illebaral governments, the measures unjustifiably and disproportionately restrict the freedoms of the people. However, we see the health crisis as an opportunity, not to return to the previous situation, but to move forward to a better world, now that the whole population has experienced what “freedom under conditions” is like. The 9th Thessaloniki Pride is demanding a normality that fits us all, that will encourage even the most vulnerable groups to have a voice and speak without hesitation about the discrimination and abuse they suffer, without fear of stigma.

The details of the call

In the context of this topic, Thessaloniki Pride seeks a slogan that expresses and calls, not for a return to normality as we knew it until now, but for a transition to a better future, where all members of the society will have a voice and equal participation. The slogan must:
– Be dynamic and smart, to be easily memorized and not to have negativity
– Be short, ideally up to five (5) words
– Be gender neutral
– Be able to be translated, without losing its meaning, into other languages
If you have ideas and suggestions, send them by May 7 at 18:00 via email to [email protected] or on our Facebook page at www.fb.com/ThessalonikiPride.