This Year’s Pride Parade to Feature Seven out of Nine Party Leaders
Stockholm’s annual Pride parade is set to take place this Saturday at 1 p.m., marking the end of rainbow week. This year, an impressive seven out of nine party leaders are expected to participate in the parade, demonstrating their support for LGBTQ rights and equality.
Among the party leaders who will proudly walk in the parade are Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson from the Moderates (M) and Labor Market Minister Johan Pehrson from the Liberals (L). These two leaders also hold positions in the government. However, Energy Minister Ebba Busch from the Christian Democrats (KD) will not be able to attend due to other commitments.
Mia Widell, press secretary for Ebba Busch, confirmed that Erik Slottner, Minister of Civil Affairs from the Christian Democrats, will be representing the party in the parade instead.
During an interview on Tv4’s Nyhetsmorgon, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his support for the Pride Parade. When asked about his feelings on walking in the parade, he responded, “It feels good, not least now that the issue is at the forefront and many countries are going in the wrong direction. We must never take these questions for granted. We celebrate the freedom and love of all people in Sweden, and we do so today.”
From the opposition party, all party leaders will be participating in the parade. Magdalena Andersson from the Social Democrats (S), Nooshi Dadgostar from the Left Party (V), and the two spokespersons Märta Stenevi and Per Bolund from the Green Party (MP) have been regular participants and will continue the tradition this year. Muharrem Demirok, who recently became the leader of the Center Party (C), will also be walking in the Pride parade for the first time.
It is worth noting that since 2014, Stockholm Pride has made a decision to exclude the Sweden Democrats (SD) from participating in the parade. According to Fredrik Saweståhl, chairman of Stockholm Pride, this decision is based on the party’s lack of LGBTQ policy and failure to align with the organization’s core values. “SD does not meet our principles,” he said.
The Pride parade not only serves as a celebration of diversity and inclusivity but also provides an opportunity for political leaders to show their support for LGBTQ rights. With such a widespread presence from party leaders, this year’s Pride parade promises to be an important and powerful event in the ongoing fight for equality in Sweden.