The area in front of the main stage at Pride Kungsan is slowly but surely filled with people, here to listen to the traditional opening speeches. Dancers dressed in black appear on stage. The music gets louder. Jonas Hedqvist steps out on stage and opens Stockholm Pride 2011 by singing "I am what I am".
One of the novelties this year is free admission at the entire Pride area, expected to attract more young people and a larger heterosexual audience.
– Pride has great confidence. Even the heteros come here. They take our jobs and our lesbian girlfriends, exclaims host Moa Svan with irony.
The free admission is a welcome novelty, even among returning visitors and volunteers.
– It's a good thing that it's open and avaliable for everyone. Especially for young people, who might not have much to spend, says Olle, one of the visitors.
Several visitors agree with Olle, though they also point out that since it's so open, it might attract people who don't approve of the message the Stockholm Pride organisation and festival stand for.
– Pride is supposed to be a safe place. A free zone for everyone, Anders Wallner says, who's attended Stockholm Pride since 2002.
The first act of the opening gala comes to a close with the second opening speech. Anna Mohr and Kjell Rindar share historical flashbacks as well as future visions of LGBT-people being able to live in an open society. When the last of the opening speakers, Thomas Beatie, enters the audience in Pride Kungsan greets him with a lot of warmth and joy.
A society for everyone
The gala continues with tutus, corsets and a speech delivered by Stockholm Pride's chairman Pär Wiktorsson and vice chairman Catarina Fox Loft, addressing various important LGBT issues and problems LGBT people face in everyday life. They end their speech with commemorating the murders at Utøya in Norway, yet again pointing out the importance of continuing the discussion about an open society.
- Today, we honour our Norwegian friends, Catarina says and asks the audience to hold hands.
When Christian Mollrö recites the anthem performed in Norway last week, a reverent silence rests over the audience in Kungsträdgården. After that, Miss Brandi performs the B-side track of this year's Pride Song, followed by Neo's second performance for the evening. The second part of Stockholm Pride 2011's opening ceremony finishes with a warm:
- From all of us to all of you, a very Happy Pride!