Lyon will hold two distinct Pride Marches (Marches des Fiertés) this summer following a fracture in the local LGBT+ community.
The Collectif Fiertés en Lutte (CFL), which has organised the main march since around 2021, will hold its event on Saturday June 27.
A separate march organised by the Centre LGBTI+ de Lyon is scheduled for July 11.
The split follows years of tension over the ideological direction of the event.
Since 2021, the CFL-organised march has featured cortèges en non-mixité — separate contingents reserved for specific groups.
These have included a leading “queer racisé” block, followed by sections for disabled people, lesbians, trans and non-binary individuals, among others, with a mixed contingent at the rear.
The format, which prioritises groups described as facing intersecting oppressions, has drawn criticism from some participants and observers who described it as creating a racial and identity-based hierarchy, with reports of white attendees being directed to the back.
Some lamented the loss of the event’s original festive spirit in favour of “atomisation of the collective.”
The Centre LGBTI+, which brings together around 40 associations — including, until recently, the CFL itself — has distanced itself from the CFL’s approach.
It has announced its own march and a Bal des Fiertés at Lyon’s Hôtel de Ville on May 30.
Organisers of the CFL march have indicated that non-mixed contingents will continue this year.
In the past, Organisers from Fiertés en Lutte have defended their approach, stating: “When one belongs to oppressed groups, it can sometimes be difficult to access certain spaces and feel comfortable and safe there.”
They argue that non-mixed contingents help avoid issues such as “the invalidation of lived experiences, monopolisation of speech, intrusive remarks and judgements, or practices not adapted to the needs of those concerned.”
Lyon’s Pride was historically one of France’s largest after Paris, typically drawing tens of thousands of participants to the country’s third-largest city. It remains to be seen how attendance will be affected by the split.
Frédéric Hay, a well-known gay activist in western France, is under investigation for alleged rape and sexual assault. https://t.co/522RxRmwQH
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 23, 2026
