Denmark

Denmark was the first country in the world to give same-sex couples legal recognition through registered partnership. For more than ten years same-sex couples have been able to marry, including in the Church of Denmark. Adults can change their legal gender without a diagnosis or surgery, after a six-month reflection period. Employment law bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, and crimes motivated by sexual orientation carry tougher sentences. There is no statutory ban on conversion therapy. The oldest advocacy group, LGBT+ Danmark, was founded shortly after the Second World War.

Small demonstrations by gay men and lesbians walked along Strøget as early as the early seventies, making Denmark the third country after the United States and Sweden to hold such a march. The festival known today began when Copenhagen was European Capital of Culture and hosted EuroPride. For several years it was called Mermaid Pride, then Danish Mermaid Pride, before taking the name Copenhagen Pride. It started out in June and has been held in August for a long time. Pride Week usually opens on a Wednesday and ends with the parade on Saturday. During one early parade on Nørrebrogade, stones were thrown at the marchers, and police stopped it quickly. Copenhagen later hosted the World Outgames and then WorldPride, combined with EuroGames run by the sports association Pan Idræt. At WorldPride six parade routes all finished in Fælledparken.

Outside the capital, Aarhus Pride is the largest event. Volunteers organise it with funding from the city, and the parade takes place on the first Saturday in June. Aalborg Pride is also volunteer-run and ends with a celebration in Karolinelund park. Odense and the island of Fanø hold their own pride and diversity days, and Copenhagen adds a Winter Pride in early February.