If you happened to be in Groningen on Saturday, you would have found a new distinctive landmark occupying the Grote Markt. A very eye-catching pink church stood proudly in front of the city hall to mark the arrival of Pride Groningen, the now-yearly event celebrating the LGBT+ community.
In only the second edition of Pride in Groningen, the two-day event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community was a “big success,” according to Pascal Rakers, the chairperson and founder of Pride Groningen.
“Last year, we had around 8,000 people. We can say it was around 15,000 this year,” Rakers told The Northern Times.
Groningen’s first Pride Walk
A monumental first for the organization this year was hosting a Pride Walk. The parade route wound through the city as people showed off their outfits, posters, and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
“That’s the way Pride started. It’s the foundation of Pride. You need a walk,” said Rakers.
It is estimated that around 2,500 people joined Pride Groningen for this historic event. Although it may pale in comparison to the size of Pride Amsterdam’s Canal Parade, which expects over 100,000 visitors every year, this difference does not affect the strong LGBTQ+ community of the Northern city.
“It’s Groningen, so it’s more intimate. There are a lot of people you’ll know when you walk through the city on Pride days. Yeah, it’s smaller, not as big as Amsterdam, but it’s cozier,” stated Rakers.
It also helps that much of the local community and dozens of businesses in Groningen were on board to promote the messages Pride Groningen aims to convey.
“The message is really important: to spread love in a city like Groningen,” said Rakers. “I want to make the world a bit of a happier place. I think this is a good event for reaching that goal.”
The celebrations continued onto De Zwanestraat where Café de Prins, Groningen’s last gay bar, is located. Multiple stages with DJs were set up to continue the Pride spirit late into the night.
Rakers said the Pride Walk will remain a key component of Pride Groningen for subsequent years.
More than just an inflatable
It was hard not to feel the spirit of Pride Groningen in the city center thanks to the giant inflatable pink church that made the Martini Tower Groningen’s second-most outstanding building for the day.
Although the church became a party venue open for all, with DJs and laser lights accompanying the festivities, it also marked a significant moment in the lives of six people.
Three couples were officially married inside the pink church. These weddings took place early on Saturday morning featuring officiants, ring bearers, and a suited-up crowd attending the matrimonies. The ceremonies were also open to the public.
“Eleven years ago, Pink Saturday (Roze Zaterdag) was held in Groningen and people got married in the church,” said Rakers. “I went to a party in Amsterdam a few years ago and there was the pink church. I thought it might be a fun idea to get people married in a church. It worked out really well.”
For those who missed out on the weddings or the sight of the church, you needn’t worry. Rakers confirmed that the church is likely to make a re-appearance next year for all to behold its pink presence.
Unfortunately, not everyone found the spirit of the church all that inviting. According to Sikkom, a passerby made his feelings clear when he confronted one of the newlyweds with homophobic slurs.
“You hope that something like this doesn’t happen, but something always happens,” said Rakers.
Fortunately for all celebrants, it appears no further disruptions occurred throughout Pride weekend.
It’s the little things that count
Pride Groningen clearly resonated with the public as shown by the support and large amounts of attendees compared to last year. However, for Rakers, it was never about how many people would attend the parties or join the Pride Walk.
“Children with their two moms or two dads, smiling and wearing rainbows. That is the most beautiful thing during Pride,” said Rakers. “People being happy and feeling accepted and feeling part of the community. For me, that’s the most important thing.”
The Forum hosted a morning program for families to attend on Saturday. Activities included drag queen story time, face painting, and cupcake decorating.
Rakers also pointed out that the event resonated well with those who attended, ensuring Pride Groningen will become a staple in people’s calendars for years to come.
“So many people came to the organization to say thank you for doing this. I think that’s the most important thing. It’s one day when we can celebrate diversity and freedom and we all have the same mindset.”
The small yet impactful history of Pride Groningen
It may come as a surprise to hear that a city of the magnitude of Groningen has only hosted Pride twice. Although Queer Pride has now been running every June for the last 5 years, it is likely that Groningen would still be without a marquee Pride event if it wasn’t for Rakers, who along with the board members of Pride Groningen, pitched the idea of hosting Pride to the municipality.
“Groningen is a really big city and some smaller cities in the Netherlands have Pride too. Groningen needed one,” Rakers argued.
Thankfully for Rakers and the Pride Groningen team, they were quickly accepted by the government who wished to see this change just as much as Pride Groningen did. “They wanted to have Pride. It was a win-win for everyone,” exclaimed Rakers.
The board works on a completely voluntary basis, meaning they do not make a profit or personal financial gains from the event. Funding, however, has not been hard to come by since last year’s edition was received so well.
Pride Groningen is sponsored by large companies such as Easy Toys, Vodafone, and Google. It also received financial support from the municipality of Groningen.
An even bigger 2024 to look forward to
After hosting Pride for the first time in 2022, next year promises to be one of the biggest years for LGBTQ+ visibility in Groningen with Pink Saturday (Roze Zaterdag) and Pride being hosted within the space of two months. Roze Zaterdag is one of the largest LGBTQ+-affiliated events in the country and has been taking place since 1977. 
Initially formed as a way to protest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the country, Pink Saturday has now become an extension of Pride parades found throughout the Netherlands.
Parties, festivities, and an array of activities are held throughout the day, however, it prides itself on being a more ideological event, having an emancipatory and political character that aims to combat oppression of the LGBTQ+ community.
Every year on the final weekend of June, Pink Saturday is hosted in a different city of the country, allowing members of the LGBTQ+ community to convene at a new location every year.
Groningen has been chosen as the host city for 2024, with Rakers taking charge to organize the event. The last time Pink Saturday was held in Groningen was in 2011, with 1985 being the first occasion.
PHOTOS: Pascal Rakers
