Tallinn Pride may be a small gathering, but Estonia’s young queers are determined to be visible. Despite hesitant legislation, rainbow colours continue to gain ground in the Baltic country.
“It’s going to be cute,” said someone from the Estonian LGBT Association when I asked her what to expect from Tallinn Pride. And she was right. Last Saturday, around a thousand queer people gathered on Harju Street, opposite the Writers House, where French writer Édouard Louis gave a lecture later in the day – I saw this on Instagram afterwards. (Imagine the crying emoji for yourself.)
Estonia is one of the smallest countries in Europe in terms of population. So the fact that Pride was a small-scale gathering should not have surprised me. Even its Baltic neighbours, Latvia and Lithuania, are much bigger. Moreover, the three countries have alternately organised Baltic Pride since 2009. This joint event traditionally attracts larger crowds.
It will be Estonia’s turn again next year. But young people are no longer satisfied with a Pride every three years, Eeva Koplimets (Estonian LGBT Association) told me last year when I met her in Riga during the Baltic Pride. They want to take to the streets every year.
Soak up the atmosphere
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