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Paris Pride 2026: What Still Brings Us Together?
A Pride march in October, sometimes funny, sometimes moving encounters, and one question that concerns us all: despite our differences and disagreements, what still brings LGBTQ+ people together?
A Paris Pride March Unlike Any Other
Paris Pride in October? That's certainly unusual!
Originally scheduled for June, the 2026 Paris Pride March had been postponed because of the heatwave. On October 3, LGBTQ+ marchers and organizations finally gathered in the streets of the French capital.
And this year, HappyGayTV decided to return with its microphone!
After a 2025 edition that had left us with some rather mixed memories, we wanted to meet people again, listen to their experiences and, above all, ask one seemingly simple question:
“What still brings us together?”
Because behind the rainbow flags, celebrations and calls for equality are individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, beliefs and sometimes disagreements.
So, despite everything, what do we still have in common?
Freedom, Solidarity and the Fight Against LGBTQ+ Discrimination
For some marchers, the answer is obvious: Pride itself.
The Paris Pride March remains an opportunity to come together, celebrate, defend LGBTQ+ rights and affirm everyone's freedom to live openly and authentically.
Others emphasize the importance of visibility, mutual support and standing together against discrimination.
One idea emerges throughout the conversations: solidarity should not stop at the boundaries of our own identities.
But how can we continue to feel part of the same community when our opinions and experiences are sometimes so different?
The LGBTQ+ Organizations That Agreed to Speak with HappyGayTV
Throughout Paris Pride 2026, HappyGayTV approached both individual marchers and LGBTQ+ organizations taking part in the event.
Some agreed to answer our question, others declined, and we did not necessarily cross paths with every organization present.
Among those who shared their perspectives were Pierre Picavet, President of FLAG!, Catherine Tripon, National Spokesperson for L'Autre Cercle, Antony Debard, Spokesperson for Contact, and Alain Beit, President of Beit Haverim.
Their different experiences and areas of advocacy offer valuable perspectives on what may still unite us.
Pierre Picavet (FLAG!): Bringing People Together Rather Than Stigmatizing Them
One of the most personal testimonies comes from Pierre Picavet, President of FLAG!, a French LGBTQ+ association connected with the Interior and Justice ministries.
Having experienced a homophobic assault a few weeks earlier, he recalls being repeatedly questioned about his attacker's background, skin color or presumed religion.
He explains why he refuses to turn those questions into an opportunity to stigmatize an entire community.
Instead, he emphasizes the importance of bringing individuals and organizations together to fight discrimination.
He also introduces Signal by FLAG!, an app that enables victims and witnesses to report discrimination.
His testimony raises an essential question: how can we fight hatred without creating further divisions?
Antony Debard (Contact): Coming Out and the Importance of Family Dialogue
For Antony Debard, Spokesperson for Contact, what unites us also lies in our ability to meet, listen and understand one another.
When someone comes out to their family, the reactions are not always easy. Misunderstandings can run deep, and acceptance may take time.
Yet dialogue can help families move forward together, even when they do not immediately see things in the same way.
His perspective reminds us that coming together does not necessarily mean agreeing on everything from the beginning.
Sometimes, it simply means being willing to take a step toward one another.
Alain Beit (Beit Haverim): Being Jewish and LGBTQ+ Without Having to Choose
Alain Beit, President of Beit Haverim, addresses the possibility of embracing one's LGBTQ+ identity while maintaining a meaningful religious life.
His testimony explores the visibility of Jewish LGBTQ+ people, the challenges of prejudice and the fight against antisemitism.
Being both Jewish and LGBTQ+ should not mean having to choose between two parts of one's identity.
In the face of discrimination, his message highlights the importance of ensuring that love remains stronger than hatred.
Another way of answering our central question: must our differences inevitably divide us?
Catherine Tripon (L'Autre Cercle): Shared Struggles and Equality at Work
Catherine Tripon, National Spokesperson for L'Autre Cercle, reminds us that, despite divisions and attempts to exploit differences, LGBTQ+ people continue to share important struggles.
She emphasizes the role of collective action and cooperation between organizations in supporting those who face discrimination.
For L'Autre Cercle, this commitment includes ensuring that LGBTQ+ people can work in safe, respectful and inclusive environments.
It is a reminder that equality is not only about public celebrations or legal recognition.
It also matters in our workplaces and everyday lives.
One Community, Despite Our Differences?
As the street interviews continue, the answers become increasingly varied.
Some people speak about visibility, freedom and equal rights. Others mention friendship, tolerance, compassion, mutual support or simply the colors of the rainbow flag.
One marcher even refers to the film Pride, which tells the story of solidarity between gay activists and British miners.
Others remind us that Pride is also a time for celebration, connection and simply enjoying being together.
And, of course, there are those spontaneous, unexpected and sometimes downright funny answers that make HappyGayTV's street interviews so enjoyable!
Not everyone shares the same opinions or experiences.
But many express a common desire: to keep meeting, supporting one another and building community, despite our differences.
And You, What Still Brings Us Together?
This Paris Gay Pride 2026 report does not claim to offer one definitive answer.
It simply gives a voice to those who agreed to share their perspectives.
But the conversation doesn't end here!
What do you think still brings LGBTQ+ people together?
Share your answer in an audio or video message through the HappyGayTV Hot-Line.
Your contribution might even be featured in a future episode of HappyGayTV & You.
And if you haven't already, join the HappyGayTV Club for free to take part in the conversation, discover behind-the-scenes content and hear about upcoming shows before they're announced on social media.
Because on HappyGayTV, the conversation continues with you.
Show transcript
What still brings us together? A question that seems so simple, because you'll see that the answers can be funny, sometimes surprising, and sometimes much more profound
than you'd expect.
Hello, my lovelies, hello, everyone! Yes, HappyGayTV is back at the Paris Pride March. And this year, first surprise: it took place in October! No,
Paris hasn't invented a fall Pride, don't worry. The march originally planned for June was postponed because of the heatwave. And I do mean we're back, because last year, after our street interviews,
I told you we might not be back anytime soon. After all, we'd even managed to be called, off-camera… Oh, let's forget that! And yet, here we are. Because since then, things have happened,
including the homophobic attack on Pierre Picavet, president of FLAG!, which we discussed on HappyGayTV some time ago. But above all, this year, we didn't want to ask who's right, who's wrong, or who's too much
of this or not enough of that. We wanted to get back to what matters. Despite our differences, our disagreements, our journeys, what still brings us together? So we asked the people and organizations
we came across. Some answered us, others didn't. And with others still, our paths simply never crossed. And you'll see, there isn't just one answer. Come on, let's hear from you. Here's our report.
What still brings us together, I'd say, is everything that the Pride March represents: our demands for rights, fighting anti-LGBT prejudice, and, of course, celebration. It's simply being together to campaign, to celebrate,
and to support each other. And at a time when rights… And the fight against anti-LGBT prejudice is slowly losing ground, what unites us today is ultimately this Pride March. What brings us together, for me, is the desire
to live our lives as freely as possible, despite all the obstacles put in our way. Because there are now so many movements that are working against our lives as LGBT+ people, in our everyday
lives, whether in our private lives, or in our sporting activities, or in every part of our lives. And we're not the only ones under attack. There really are so many attacks now,
and we absolutely must protect our shared spaces and be able to live as we choose. It goes beyond LGBT issues, actually. If we… if we wait until LGBT people are attacked, our turn will come anyway.
So we must act when, when any minority is attacked. It's important. I was assaulted about a month ago. People often asked me about who attacked me, where he came from,
and the color of his skin. I refused to answer because there is no way I'll stigmatize a religion, or someone's origins, or where someone comes from. There is no way I'll do that. What I want
is to bring people together, bring organizations together. That's important. And to do that, we created an app to fight discrimination called Signal by FLAG!, which lets anyone,
witness or victim, report an incident of discrimination and contact us. Today, what brings us together is being here, for example. Today, it's being together under one flag, under one slogan, a slogan
that unites us, a flag that unites us, a flag under which we should feel protected, comfortable, and never in danger. That's also what matters. Because I accept other people's flags, no problem at all.
We can come together under other flags, but we must never pit them against each other. What unites us, for me, is living together. It's also knowing that sometimes we may not understand each other
right away, and yet, what matters is finding a way to move forward together. At Contact, we're an organization focused on coming out, and we see that sometimes, when a young person comes out to their family,
it can be very difficult. And yet, what matters is finding a way to move forward together and connect. And that's what unites us. It's wanting to reach out to one another, to connect,
to live together and have, well, that mutual acceptance. What unites us is truly fighting those who want to divide us. I think we should always keep coming together, because it's vital that we
remain visible, beyond divisions, beyond misunderstandings between us. We're still one big family. In society in general, it's difficult! People look down on us. So events like this Pride
March today, there's no way we can miss events like these, despite our differing opinions. You see, it's a platform that lets us show society that we exist. We're here, and we
will keep fighting for our rights and for even greater recognition. What brings us together today is love, which must always, always be stronger than hate. And so we're
here for that too, to show that we are Jewish and LGBT, that no one owns God, and that being LGBT doesn't mean you can't practice your religion, just like Muslims or Catholics do.
And also, we're here to show given everything happening with the rise in antisemitism, we won't be hiding away. We want to show that we belong to two minorities and that we're proud
of who we are. We won't bow our heads, and we know we'll still be here. What brings us together? The colors of the flag, quite simply. Because they represent all that we are, all our pride.
We're all struggling. There's too much going on, everyone's at breaking point, and at least we have Pride to come together and enjoy a little break and celebration. What still unites us is compassion
and mutual support, I think. We need to move past divisions. I'm thinking, for example, the film Pride, where gay people and miners joined forces to defend their cause. And in that spirit, I think everyone is welcome at this event,
especially allies, and so on. And I think, given the current situation, the message really is to stand united and show compassion for everyone, and help each other. And lots of love. What still unites us,
despite everything, even though there's a lot of toxic rhetoric at the moment because of this election campaign, which is being exploited by both the right and the left, what unites us is that our struggles are shared,
and that in all our organizations, there are people who have suffered, who still suffer, and who, thanks to our joint efforts, can actually cope better, or at least, at L'Autre Cercle, can
choose to work in good conditions. What still unites us today is friendship and tolerance for one another. What still brings us together? Well, sex! So what
still brings us together? I don't know if you found THE answer, but we certainly found quite a few. And now, what we're really missing is yours. You, what still
brings us together? Come tell us by audio or video on the HappyGayTV Hot-Line. And your answer might just end up in a future episode of HappyGayTV & You. And if you haven't already, join the
HappyGayTV Club for free, so you don't miss a thing, and above all, to see your post on the Hot-Line, as well as those from other followers. And also our upcoming shows, go behind the scenes, and hear about our latest news
before social media. Because here, the conversation continues with you, too. So, with that, my lovelies, take good care of yourselves, and see you very soon for more adventures! Ciao, ciao!
