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About Marseille
In France, Pride is called the Marche des Fiertés. In Marseille it goes by Pride Marseille and traditionally takes place in early summer. During the day a march with floats and walking groups moves through the city centre; in the evening there are official parties and a cultural programme around the event.
The history goes back further than many expect. A small protest was held at Saint-Charles station in the late 1970s. In the early 1990s the Collectif Gai et Lesbien organised a first official gathering on the Cours Julien. The first real march followed a year later with around 1,500 people, walking from the square in front of the Réformés church to the Cours d'Estienne d'Orves.
In the mid-1990s the association Lesbian & Gay Pride Marseille was founded. That same year, French Pride organisers met in Marseille and set up the Coordination InterPride France. They also agreed that Marseille would close the Pride season every year on the first Saturday of July. Around the turn of the millennium, the magazine Têtu called the Marseille parade the most beautiful Pride in France.
In the 2010s Marseille hosted EuroPride. The run-up was marked by disputes, and for a time two rival marches took place. Looking back, the organisers themselves describe the event as a failure, both in attendance and financially. Afterwards a steering committee of associations and local businesses took over the planning. In the late 2010s this led to the founding of Fierté Marseille Organisation, which has run the march and its side programme ever since.
Pride Marseille still sees itself as a political demonstration. Besides the march, the programme includes events by various LGBTQIA+ associations in the city. Dates, route and evening events are published each year on the organisers' website.
Marseille Pride – frequently asked questions
From the magazine
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Brenda Howard and the Pride Week: Who Turned a Memorial March into a Tradition
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