Last year, Oradea Pride was banned by local authorities, making it one of the few Pride marches prohibited in the European Union. As activists prepare for this year's edition, concerns remain that the same could happen again.

In this episode of Beyond Queer Politics, Rémy Bonny speaks with Oana Iacob from Oradea Pride about the fight for freedom of assembly, the growing role of local authorities in restricting LGBTIQ+ rights, and why the European Commission must pay greater attention to discrimination happening at the municipal level.

Together, they explore whether cities that undermine fundamental rights should continue receiving EU funding and what accountability should look like when local politicians target LGBTIQ+ communities.

In this episode:

• Why Oradea Pride was banned
• The role of local authorities in restricting rights
• The responsibility of the European Commission
• EU funding and accountability
• The future of Pride in Oradea

Beyond Queer Politics is the first podcast dedicated to exploring how European politics impacts the lives of LGBTIQ+ people.

Can a city be more than a political capital? Can it become a capital of equality?

In this episode of Beyond Queer Politics, Rémy Bonny speaks with Pascal Smet about his vision for Brussels as a European Capital of Equality.

As one of Belgium's first openly gay government officials and a long-time political leader in Brussels, Pascal reflects on the city's transformation, the role of diversity in urban politics, and the responsibility Brussels carries as the home of the European institutions.

Together, they explore how Brussels can help defend democratic values and fundamental rights at a time when equality is increasingly challenged across Europe.

In this episode:
• What it means to be a European Capital of Equality
• The role of Brussels in the wider European debate on LGBTIQ+ rights
• Why representation and visibility matter in politics
• The challenges facing international residents in Brussels
• What still needs to change to make Brussels more inclusive

🎧 Beyond Queer Politics is the first podcast focused on how EU politics impacts the lives of LGBTIQ+ people.

What if anti-LGBTIQ+ narratives aren’t just culture wars but part of a strategy to destabilise democracies?

In this episode of Beyond Queer Politics, Rémy Bonny explores how Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) targets LGBTIQ+ communities across Europe.

With Tamar Jakeli and Giorgi Tabagari from Tbilisi Pride, we break down the situation in Georgia from rising hostility on the ground to the role of disinformation, political actors, and foreign influence, including Russia.

As elections approach in Hungary, we also look at what happens when disinformation shapes political power and what to do if election results are challenged.

In this episode:

• What FIMI actually looks like in practice
• Why LGBTIQ+ people are targeted
• How disinformation turns into political power
• Lessons from Georgia for the rest of Europe

🎧 Beyond Queer Politics is the first podcast focused on how EU politics impacts the lives of LGBTIQ+ people.

Across Europe, governments are increasingly adopting so-called “anti-LGBTIQ+ propaganda” laws designed to silence queer voices. But where did these laws come from and can they be stopped?

In this episode of Beyond Queer Politics, host Rémy Bonny speaks with Lithuania's Monika Antanaitytė, Bulgaria's Denitsa Lyubenova and Esther Martinez from our partner organization Reclaim.

They unpack how these laws spread from Lithuania to Hungary and Bulgaria, why governments use them to stigmatize LGBTIQ+ communities, and what the historic EU court case against Hungary could mean for the future of queer rights in Europe.