The U.S. Embassy in Prague was proud to support the Prague Pride Festival again this year, which took place August 8-14 throughout the city. This year’s theme was “love,” and the Pride Festival’s objective was to combat prejudice against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) persons and other minorities. The U.S. Embassy organized several Prague Pride-related events at the American Center, and the Embassy team led by Ambassador Andrew Schapiro and his wife Tamar Newberger took part in the Saturday parade, a highlight of the festival, which was attended by as many as 40,000 people.
During the march, participants paid tribute to the 49 people shot dead in a gay club in Orlando, U.S. Participants observed one minute of silence and released 49 black balloons. The U.S. Embassy in Prague remains committed to working with the Czech government, as well as civil society, interfaith, and business communities to protect and promote the human rights of LGBTI persons. Since 2011, the U.S. Embassy has provided assistance to the Prague Pride Festival, including financial support through its small grants program, providing meeting space for workshops and discussions on LGBTI issues, and fostering cross cultural exchanges.
For more information on the U.S. government’s support for the human rights of LGBTI persons worldwide, please see: “White House Fact Sheet on Support for Human Rights of LGBT Persons.”
