Riga Pride to take place from late May to early June

RIGA - Taking a stand for an inclusive and cohesive society in Latvia, this year's Riga Pride will take place in the capital city from May 29 to June 4, Kaspars Zalitis, a board member of Latvia's LGBT rights group Mozaika, told LETA. 

This year, Riga Pride is intended as an encouragement for everyone to flourish in diversity and see the beauty of diversity in others. "Speaking through flowers" will be used as a means of communication, as flowers are an old communication method used by lovers to secretly exchange their messages, Zalitis said. 

The program of the Riga Pride week includes more than a hundred various events and activities like a diversity and inclusion forum, an international conference on human rights and democracy with the participation of experts from various spheres, panels, workshops, exhibitions, movie shows and concerts. 

Riga Pride will kick off on May 17, International Day Dgainst Homophobia, with a series of events, art installations and performances, and rainbow flags will be flown in many locations across Riga in show of solidarity with LGBTQ people in Latvia and the world. 

The Pride week will close with a march and concert in Riga, with thousands of people expected to join the events. 

The Riga Pride Quarter Briania will host the first LGBTQ outdoor party. 

Mozaika is organizing Riga Pride in collaboration with Active Rainbow, Latvia's Diversity Charter, the queer culture space Skapis, Briania Quarter and other nongovernmental organizations, cultural spaces, enterprises and international institutions.