Great success for second Monaco Pride

The event, which reports on the Principality’s progress on LGBTQI+ rights, was held at the Principality’s Novotel hotel.

More than 100 representatives of the Government of Monaco, the National Council, businesses and the Monegasque community gathered at the Hôtel Novotel on Thursday 1 June for the second edition of Monaco Pride, sponsored by Barclays Bank and the Fight Aids charity.

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After a first edition at Stars’N’Bars in 2022, the event was back, with in attendance Gérald Mathieu, Director of Barclays Private Bank Monaco, Hervé Aeschbach, coordinator of Fight Aids , Guillaume Rapin, General Manager of Novotel Monaco, and Annette Anderson, manager of the former Stars’N’Bars.

guillaume rapin annette anderson herve aeschbach lorenzo turco monaco pride — *From left to right: Guillaume Rapin, Annette Anderson, Hervé Aeschbach and Lorenzo Turco (Barclays) – © Frederic Nebinger*

Also present were Laurent Stefanini, France’s Ambassador to Monaco, Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Magali Ginepro, Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Marina Ceyssac, High Commissioner for the protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation, Nicolas Rodier, Technical Advisor to the National Education, Youth and Sports department and Vibecke Thomson, President of the SheCanHeCan non-profit.

Barclays’ façade illuminated in the colours of the rainbow

The aim of the gathering was to highlight the positive advances made in the Principality for the LGTBQI+ community, including in particular the support shown by Princess Stéphanie and her Family to the Fight Aids charity. AS Monaco’s commitment, with players wearing the rainbow jersey on the International Day Against Homophobia (May 17) in recent years, was also mentioned.

The aim of Monaco Pride is also to raise awareness of the need to encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Barclays and Novotel have both introduced programmes to that end The front of the bank will be lit up in the colours of the rainbow throughout June, to mark Pride Month.

barclays monaco mois fiertes — *The front façade of Barclays is lit up in the colours of the rainbow for Pride Month – © Frederic Nebinger*

All the speakers present for the evening agreed that diversity, inclusion and equal civil rights for all Monegasque workers were essential parts of a growing economy and a healthy community.

It should be noted, however, that in 2022, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance asked Monaco to examine and remove unjustified differences in rights between same-sex couples and heterosexual couples. In April, the Commission even organised a round table in the Principality to discuss its recommendations with representatives of the Prince’s Government and the Monegasque community.