Bucharest gay pride march turns 20 as LGBTQ+ Romanians face growing hostility from right-wing groups

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ supporters took to the streets of Romania’s capital Saturday for its annual gay pride parade, following a tense election cycle marked by an increase in hate speech against the community.

Marchers of all ages walked through Bucharest’s streets and down the central Victory Avenue, as many waved colorful flags, blew whistles and held placards that read: “Be proud, be bold, be you!” Held since 2005, the event marked Bucharest Pride’s 20th anniversary.

A highly divisive and chaotic election cycle in Romania saw a rise in support for far-right and conservative political figures and parties in the European Union member, one of the bloc’s most religious countries.

Victor Ciobotaru, executive director of ACCEPT Association, an LGBTQ+ rights group, told The Associated Press that throughout the 2024-2025 election cycle, the organization registered “a huge increase” in hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community.

“We had more people complaining about being harassed on the streets or being attacked,” he said. “This hate speech doesn’t remain without effect. We can feel the tension within the society … We are going to continue to fight for our rights, no matter the political climate.”

Earlier on Saturday, right-wing groups who advocate for traditional family values and oppose same-sex marriage held an anti-LGBT countermarch in the capital, with many waving Romania's tricolor national flag and others holding placards depicting religious icons.

Before the parade, the ACCEPT association also reported a large “STOP LGBT” banner that had been draped over an abandoned Bucharest apartment building, which was later removed.

“These types of actions are now more legitimized by the hate discourse which was spread all during these years, during these electoral campaigns,” Ciobotaru said. “We will not be afraid to go on the streets.”

This year marks 24 years since Romania, a country of about 19 million, decriminalized homosexuality.

In ILGA-Europe’s 2025 Rainbow Map, which assesses the legal and policy landscape for LGBTQ+ people across Europe, Romania ranked last among all 27 EU countries, followed by Poland and Bulgaria, the advocacy group found.

Stephen McGrath reported from Targu Mures.

Opponents of gay rights hold religious icons during the Bucharest Pride Parade in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

People hold a rainbow flag banner during the gay pride parade in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

A participant in the Bucharest Pride Parade strikes a pose in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman holds a religious icon during a rally by right wing groups and their supporters opposing same sex marriage and sexual education in schools, ahead of the Bucharest Pride parade in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

People dance while holding rainbow flags during the Bucharest Pride Parade, in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Yamal dances while holding a rainbow flag during the Bucharest Pride Parade, in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s motorcade took a different route than usual to the airport as he was departing Florida on Sunday due to a “suspicious object,” according to the White House.

The object, which the White House did not describe, was discovered during security sweeps in advance of Trump’s arrival at Palm Beach International Airport.

“A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Sunday.

The president, when asked about the package by reporters, said, “I know nothing about it.”

Trump left his Palm Beach, Florida, club, Mar-a-Lago, around 6:20 p.m. for the roughly 10-minute drive to the airport, but took a circular route around the city to get there.

During the drive, police officers on motorcycles created a moving blockade for the motorcade, at one point almost colliding with the vans that accompanied Trump.

Air Force One was parked on the opposite side of the airport from where it is usually located and the lights outside the plane were turned off.

Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for U.S. Secret Service, said the secondary route was taken just as a precaution and that “that is standard protocol.”

President Donald Trump departs Trump International Golf Club in the presidential limousine, known as The Beast, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)