GENDERDOC-M unveils Moldova Pride 2026 program
The LGBTQ+ organizations' platform has announced the program for the Moldova Pride 2026 festival, which, according to the organizers, has reached its 25th edition. The event will take place under the slogan: "Love creates, the law protects."
Angelica Frolov, the executive director of the GENDERDOC-M Information Center, announced that the festival, which has been organized since 2002, is taking place from June 15 to 21. This year's central message highlights the lack of state protection for LGBT couples.
"Our state still does not offer protection to LGBT couples. [...] We need state recognition of our relationships," Frolov stated at a press conference on June 4.
She further explained that expanding legal protection for LGBT individuals would not infringe on the rights of others. "If we also have this protection under the law, no one will have to lose anything. It is not like a piece of cake that, if shared, means less for others. There is room for everyone in this country," Angelica Frolov emphasized.
The week's agenda includes Pride Park, the festival's main event, which is scheduled for June 20 at the Artcore space in Chisinau. In addition, there will be an exhibition dedicated to the history of the LGBTQ+ movement in the Republic of Moldova.
"We exist, we love, and we want our weddings at home, with dancing and our traditions. [...] However, to stay in Moldova, we need legal recognition and protection," said Albina Ciuprin, the program director of GENDERDOC-M.
In its 2025 enlargement report, the European Commission urged the authorities in Chisinau to strengthen the enforcement of anti-discrimination standards, particularly through cooperation between the Equality Council and the Ombudsman.
The organization ILGA-Europe has listed the Republic of Moldova among the states in the enlargement region where the protection of LGBTI individuals falls below European standards.
Within the EU, several countries, including Italy since 2016, recognize civil partnerships but do not allow marriage, demonstrating a range of solutions that align with European requirements.
