Around 50,000 turn up at gay festival Europride in Zurich
Pastor Dale Morgan
Around 50,000 turn up at gay festival Europride in Zurich*
June 7, 2009 - 5:39AM
Around 50,000 people turned out for the European gay and lesbian parade
Europride's annual festival in the Swiss city of Zurich on Saturday,
organiser Michael Rueegg said.
The festival, which was held for the first time in London in 1993, takes
place in a different European city every year, attracting participants
from all over the continent.
This year's Europride coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first
gay rights movements in the United States.
Zurich, Switzerland's biggest city, is festooned with the movement's
traditional rainbow colours for the occasion, under the impetus of its
recently elected Socialist Party mayor, Corine Mauch, who is openly lesbian.
Ruegg said a "mixed crowd" turned up at the parade, and not just
homosexuals.
"Up to now, there are about 50,000 people participating in the parade,
but there will be some more people coming for the festivities later
today," he told AFP. He was optimistic that a heavy downpour in the late
afternoon would not dampen the festive spirit.
The festival, in the home of the country's conservative business and
economic establishment, is not without its critics.
Organisers of the Mr Switzerland pageant have expressly warned their
current male icon, Andre Reithbuch, to stay away from the parade, the
Swiss tabloid Blick reported.
And the Christian Social Union (BCS), a lobby group, has called for the
defence of the "Christian family model" and is launching a poster and
leaflet campaign during Europride.
Rueegg said that he had seen some people handing out their leaflets, but
added that the parade had taken place in a festive mood so far.
"I saw a few straight couples and I went to ask them why they were here,
and they found my questions very absurd. They said: 'why shouldn't we be
here, it's where the party is,'" said Rueegg.
Europride travels to Warsaw next year.
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an
additional service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage,
along with foreign currency and measurement units.