As the largest Swiss city, Zürich has been the site of a growing community for many decades, and is today supported by all local authorities and the tourism industry. Zürich’s GLBT community is proud, diverse and active and the community is honoured to be hosting the 2009 EuroPride, 40 years after Stonewall, and for the first time ever in Switzerland. The city proved a perfect host for the 2000 EuroGames, which, with tremendous public interest, became a huge success for both the GLBT community and the city of Zürich.

A wide range of activities is planned for the month from May 4th - June 7th, including the lesbian and gay film festival Pink Apple and the culture festival Warmer Mai. Sports teams, motorcycle clubs and many other groups will establish a colourful, diverse programme of movies, plays, concerts, tours, parties and much more.

The main event will doubtless be the Parade through the inner city of Zürich, when tens of thousands of locals and guests are expected to get together in a colourful demonstration for equal rights and the end of discrimination. As mentioned, the Parade will highlight the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and demand that it’s time to accept equality for all. Switzerland, host country of the Geneva Declaration and the European headquarters of the UN, it the perfect place in which to raise our voices. Zürich isn’t only surrounded by natural beauty. The city is at the crossroads of many cultures: the Italian joy of life from the South, the French savoir-vivre from the West and the German reliability from the North come together to form a wonderfully diverse mixture.

The GLBT community feels comfortable and safe in Zürich, looking back to the second half of the 19th century when the first public activities of any GLBT group anywhere in the world were recorded here. These, being the first instance of GLBT people coming out, were even highlighted in an award-winning exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zürich.

Today, the city, its GLBT community and services offer something for everybody. Sports, events, parties, shopping – whatever colour you wear, you’ll be more than welcome!