Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper): On October 8, 2023, a court declared The Belgian Pride bankrupt, owing over €59,000. Founded in 1996, it grew to attract 200,000 attendees but struggled with internal issues and lost funding. Now, RainbowHouse organizes the event and receives €5,000 from the City of Brussels in 2021.
On October 8, the Brussels Commercial Court declared The Belgian Pride, a non-profit based in Kolenmarkt, bankrupt due to unpaid debts. Laurent Wallet, the liquidator, said he could not share more details for legal reasons. Founded in 1996 and originally called ‘Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride Roze Zaterdag Samedi Rose’, the organization grew its annual Pride event from a few thousand participants to tens of thousands, with the latest event in May claiming around 200,000 attendees. However, internal issues and the COVID-19 pandemic led to its downfall.
Is the Belgian Pride’s bankruptcy linked to internal disputes and financial struggles?
The Belgian Pride faced problems, including internal disputes and financial issues, which caused a split in the LGBTQIA+ community. As a result, RainbowHouse took over organizing the Pride event, and the City of Brussels shifted its funding from The Belgian Pride to RainbowHouse, giving them 5,000 euros in 2021. The event was renamed the Rainbow Festival in 2022. The Brussels tourist office still manages the logistics but has not worked with The Belgian Pride for two years. While the federal government still calls it ‘The Belgian Pride’, the new organizers refer to it as ‘Brussels Pride – In the Capital of Europe’.
The Belgian Pride, which owns the website, is having money problems after losing its funding, leaving it with over 59,000 euros in debt. The last financial report was from 2020. Chille Deman, a co-founder, could not be reached for comment. Former Brussels minister Pascal Smet, a supporter of the Pride parade, said he doesn’t mind if the original group struggles as long as the event continues. He believes it’s important to mix the serious and fun sides of Pride to attract more people. There’s also a debate about how much companies should support Pride events, with Smet saying that private funding should be accepted.
