Stronger together celebrated during this year's Pride parade
Students, alumni and staff from KI participated in the colourful Pride parade under the universities' Adacemic Pride flag in Stockholm on 3 August. The atmosphere was great and this year's theme was clear – we are stronger together.
Since 2017, Karolinska Institutet has participated in Pride together with various universities in Stockholm under the common slogan Academic Pride. In addition to KI, this year's participants were KTH, Stockholm University, Södertörn University and the Stockholm School of Economics.
“As a higher education institution, KI has an important role to play in making LGBTQIA+ issues visible, both in terms of research and teaching, but also in creating an inclusive work and study environment. It is a work that goes on all year round, but which gets a little extra attention during Pride week,” says Kristina Ullgren, who is coordinator for equal opportunities at KI.
This year's theme for the Pride festival was Stronger Together, which highlighted the importance of standing up for each other and together raising the voice for the equal value of all people, all people's right to be who they are and to love who they want.
“KI's participation signals strong support for diversity and inclusion in academia and society at large. It also shows our commitment to creating a safe and accepting environment for LGBTQIA+ students, researchers and teachers. It is extra gratifying that Queerlinska, our student union association with the aim of representing the interests of LGBTQIA+ students at KI, has been involved in the planning and implementation of Academic Pride,” says Elin Törnqvist, president of the student union Medicinska Föreningen at KI.
Changes over 50 years
All week, the rainbow-coloured flag has been flying high on the Solna and Huddinge campuses. On Wednesday, Academic Pride arranged a well-attended seminar at Pride House that clarified how the situation for transgender people in Sweden has changed over the past 50 years.
The lecture created discussions about how knowledge and research can be used to promote transgender rights.
The festival ended on Saturday with the traditional Pride parade, a joyful and colorful manifestation for human rights. Already in the morning, the festivities started when Academic Pride invited to a pre-party before the parade.
Party atmosphere all the way
Dressed in Academic Pride's t-shirts, students, staff and alumni danced and celebrated along the way from Norr Mälarstrand to the destination, Östermalms IP. The road there was lined with Stockholmers on summer vacation and tourists waving and clapping the parade.
“This is one of the most important events that KI and I, as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, participate in during the year. The Pride parade always offers a great atmosphere, I get extra energy and feel a great sense of belonging. It gives hope for the future, not least considering what is happening in the outside world right now,” concludes Ewa Ehrenborg, academic vice president for higher education and professor at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.
More pictures from this year's Pride Parade in Stockholm
