Copenhagen Pride

It is no secret in the gay community that Denmark is the most accepting country of the homosexual lifestyle. In 1948 the National Association for Gays and Lesbians was founded and shortly thereafter in 1989 Denmark became the first country to recognize same-sex marriage. Pushing the boundaries of comfort for straight-laced heterosexuals, in 1999 same-sex couples were granted the ability to adopt. With such open-mindedness it is no wonder that Copenhagen, Denmark, is home to Copenhagen Pride, an annual Gay Pride Parade where thousands flock to the city center in celebration.

One may think that they have landed in the center of Mardi Gras the way people party on this day. The parade is usually held within the first two weeks of August. Thousands of spectators line the parade route and thousands more strut their stuff as they walk or drive by on floats decorated in various motifs. Everyone is dressed to impress, in boas and head-dresses, and costumes that were planned and created well in advance. Your brain may be on fabulousity overload but not for too long– you can start to feel cloudy after the amount of alcohol consumption dedicated to this celebration. Copenhagen is no stranger to public drinking and such lax laws are pushed to the max at this festival. Luckily though, the streets are so crowded that no one is driving anywhere fast.

This year Copenhagen has decided to kick off the festivities in a new way. August 9, 2008, will mark the start of Copenhagen Pride Week as they host “Tivoli Goes Gay.” There will be same-sex dancing on stage, along with a concert, followed by the marriage of a same sex couple beside the Tivoli Lake.

Clearly Denmark knows how to push the boundaries of a topic that makes the rest of the world cast a wary eye, and they do not intend on slowing down anytime soon. Such a week is not only a week of celebration of the lifestyle but also a celebration of how far they have come into acceptance. Copenhagen Pride is most certainly an event to attend sometime in your lifetime.

Location:
City Center
Copenhagen, Denmark

Entertainment Types:
Parade

Getting There
City Center, you can get there on foot if you are already in the city, taxi, bus or boat.

Travel Tips: Open-mindedness. This is a pride parade, a time of celebration!

Price Description: FREE

Relative price: Free

Open Hours from:All day Event

Travel Skills: None

Lots of sightseeing to be done in Copenhagen.

Credit cards accepted
American Express, Discover, MasterCard/Eurocard, Visa

Currencies accepted
Euro, US dollar, Danish krone

Contact Information:
Zip: 1000
Phone: (+45) 33 25 74 00
Fax: (+45) 33 25 74 10
E-mail: woco(at)remove-this.woco.dk
URL: www.copenhagenpride.dk/dk/

By Nastassja

I must be a gypsy because I cannot travel enough. Something in my soul makes me want to jump up and take off, wander around the world seeing as much...

Created: 01 Aug 2008

Updated: 15 Oct 2008