Republic of Moldova - June 2023

Moldova held the largest and most peaceful Pride march in its history on 18 June in Chisinau, where marchers far outnumbered counter-protesters, police presence was “less dense” than previous years, and no incidents of harassment were recorded. For the second year in a row, the march went on despite the mayor’s announcement that the city would not authorize the march – an authority that the mayor’s office does not hold. The improving climate for LGBTQIA+ rights in Moldova, including new legal protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in 2023, led to the country’s jump by fourteen places (one of the six countries with the biggest improvement) in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, a ranking of European countries’ LGBTQIA+ friendly laws and policies.

Source: openDemocracy, Radio Europa Libera Moldova, ILGA Europe