For the first time, the city of Brno in the Czech Republic (South Moravia) organized an LGBTIQ pride event – the parade and an accompanying programme: more than a week of performances, art exhibitions, readings, worskshops and discussions culminated in Saturday Queer parade on 28th June 2008. This pride event was not the first one in the whole Czech Republic, but it was biggest in its scope and impact.

The Queer parade in Brno was organized to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and all queer people's rights, visibility and self-identity. Although the Registered Partnership Act was adopted in 2006, by which the Czech Republic has joined countries promoting respect for sexual minorities, there are still many problems that call for general attention. We want to contribute to the public discussion on issues ranging from the rights of same-sex parents, through the absence of equal rights for individual adoptions for registered partners, bullying of LGBTIQ youth, the invisibility of LGBTIQ seniors, to severe violations of transgender persons amounting to breaches of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

The organizers thank for support to all the volunteers and other participants and to the individuals that spoke or performed on stage - including Dan Vičan, Iva Pazderková, Pavel Vítek, Kateřina Dubská, Martin Ander, Jiří Hromada and the minister for human rights and ethnic minorities Džamila Stehlíková, who took auspices over the event. For artistic performances during the queer parade day, we thank to Bathani, Rahat Lukum, Scandal Ladies, and Čoko Voko groups.

The Rainbow Wave programme - more than a week of activities, the parade day itself and the subsequent Children afternoon - showed the strength and energy of the LGBTIQ community in the Czech Republic. The organizing groups want to express their support to other gay pride/queer parade teams in the post-socialist countries, where parades became targets for attacks of ultra-nationalists groups.

The Rainbow Wave in Brno was supported by Martina Navrátilová. Here you can read the letter from the top tennis player. A letter of support was sent also by the British Embassy in Prague.

The main sponsors of the Queer parade project were foundations MamaCash and Global Fund for Women, and first Czech gay travel agency Lionel.

Thank you all for support, participation and love!