This year, we gather beneath a banner that speaks not only of hope, but of urgency: “Stand United Against the Backlash.” Around us, the world is shifting. Hard-won freedoms are no longer safe. In some places, they are being quietly dismantled. In others, openly attacked. In March, Hungary passed a law that prohibits queer people from gathering in public to speak out, to celebrate, to simply be. Framed as protection for minors, it effectively bans Pride. Such measures are not about safeguarding children. They are about silencing visibility, erasing lives, and undermining the foundations of democracy.
In the European Union, where the promise of a “Union of Equality” was once clearly made, we now face a crisis of coherence. The European Commission has set out a five-year strategy for the protection and empowerment of LGBTIQ+ communities. But this vision is only as strong as the political will that defends it. If member states are allowed to ignore their obligations with impunity, then equality becomes a slogan, not a lived reality.
Even here in Luxembourg, where we commemorate the tenth anniversary of marriage equality and adoption rights for same-sex couples, we cannot afford to become complacent. The recent public debate around LGBTIQ+ education, sparked by a deeply divisive petition, has shown how quickly reactionary narratives can resurface. Though society and institutions responded with strength and solidarity, it is clear that acceptance must be actively nourished. Rights, once granted, are never truly permanent. They must be protected, reclaimed, and reaffirmed by each new generation.
And yet, amidst all this, we continue to move forward. The 2025 Rainbow Europe Index reveals encouraging progress. Spain, Finland, and Moldova have taken bold legislative steps, embracing gender recognition based on self-determination and banning harmful practices like intersex genital mutilation. Belgium, Iceland, and Switzerland have strengthened protections, expanded rights, and sent a clear message that dignity cannot be debated. These changes matter. They show us that solidarity is not a dream, but a force.
At Luxembourg Pride, we honour these victories. We celebrate our joys. But we also raise our voices in defiance. For those who cannot march. For those who are told to hide. For those who are made to fear.
This Pride is more than a party. It is protest. Memory. Resistance. Future.
Together, we stand. Against the backlash. For each other.
Rosa Lëtzebuerg
Political Demands 2025
Pride is more than queer culture and a street festival. A Pride has always had a political dimension.
For this reason, Rosa Lëtzebuerg asbl takes advantage of Luxembourg Pride Week each year to draw attention especially from politicians to the demands of queer people. Every year, we focus on individual points from our list of demands, which can be found in its entirety on our website.
For Luxembourg Pride 2025, we wanted to draw attention to exactly the same points as last year, as nothing has changed in the past year.
- Enshrine LGBTIQ+ Protection in the Constitution
We demand that the Luxembourg Constitution explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics. LGBTIQ+ people must be fully protected by the highest legal standard — without exceptions, loopholes, or silence. - Equal Parenthood – Recognize All Families from Day One
We call for automatic and unconditional recognition of parenthood for all families, including same-gender and queer parents, from the moment of birth. Equal access to birth and parental leave must be guaranteed for all, regardless of gender or legal status. - Trans Healthcare: Depathologize, Respect, and Cover All Care
We demand full depathologization of trans identities and access to gender-affirming healthcare based on informed consent, not psychiatric diagnosis. All medical treatments – including hormones, surgeries, and hair removal – must be accessible, covered by public insurance, and free of stigma. Certificates, birth register extracts, and identity cards. - Intersex Justice – Ban Non-Consensual Medical Interventions
We call for a legal ban on medically unnecessary, non-consensual interventions on intersex infants and children. Intersex people must have the right to bodily autonomy, full access to their medical records, and reparations for past violations of their physical integrity. - Legal Recognition for Non-Binary People – Beyond the Binary
We demand legal recognition of genders beyond the male/female binary. Non-binary people must have the right to self-identify in all legal, administrative, and healthcare systems. Names, pronouns, and identities must be respected without requiring binary classification.
The demands written by Rosa Lëtzebuerg for the parliamentary elections on October 8, 2023, have been sent to all parties with the request to include as many of these demands as possible in their election programs. You can find the entire catalogue of demands here (in German, with English and French translations to follow soon).