Living Pride Month🌈

June is internationally recognized as Pride Month, and every year organizations and collectives come together to celebrate and make queer identities and diversities visible, represented by the iconic rainbow. Paraguay is no stranger to this movement. Given our historical and political context, taking to the streets is both a political act and an act of resistance. Here’s a look at our journey through this month and the actions we carried out alongside the community.

Starting with Care

The LGBTIQ+ community is among the most vulnerable to online attacks. Aware of this, we launched an asynchronous digital security course designed to break down topics that may initially seem technical or intimidating. With a bit of dedication, anyone can learn how to protect themselves and secure their accounts. The course is hosted on this campaign’s website, completely free, and can be revisited as many times as needed. It includes short assessments to ensure learning, helping participants better prevent hacks, fraud, and issues with personal or collective LGBTIQ+ accounts. In preparation for June, we also used our social media channels to share tools we recommend for protecting anonymity: free network alternatives, password managers, and resources to understand how AI systems train on our data, often without us realizing the impact this can have.

Painting to Stay

Pride celebrations, like the struggles of queer communities, don’t end with a single date or month they’re part of everyday life. That’s why we partnered with local artists to create a mural that embodies resistance and collectivity, a piece that remains visible every day. The chosen space was La Chispa Cultural Center in Asunción, which for over a decade has been a hub for emerging art and a safe space where everyone feels welcome. Artist Ana Brisa Caballero brought these ideas to life, capturing not only the spirit of the queer collective but also the values of La Chispa itself. Months before its unveiling, the mural design process was shaped through meetings and revisions with TEDIC and La Chispa staff, resulting in the final concept that now colors this historic block. Under the motto Free and Safe, the mural has become the new face of La Chispa, a cultural space open to all, representing, like the rainbow flag, the many colors of resistance, joy, and the political act of occupying public spaces. At TEDIC, we believe that beyond creating safe physical spaces, we must also live Free and Safe online. This mural helps us connect with more people in the community, highlighting the importance of digital care and protecting our friends, just as we do when dancing or gathering together.

Moving Pride

When we talk about occupying free and safe spaces, both online and offline, and about visibility as a political act, we know that collectivity is key. Communities are where resistance, joy, and solidarity grow, and where networks, virtual or physical, strengthen the queer collective. This June, TEDIC partnered with Pride Paradise, an LGBTIQ+ movement that has been organizing public picnics for years, creating spaces of care and friendship. Under the motto Pride in Motion, Pride Paradise and TEDIC, with support from REPADIS, visited cities across Central to reach young people who find it difficult to attend events in Asunción, where most gatherings usually take place. We visited Luque, Itauguá, and Areguá. Surrounded by colorful blankets and snacks, we shared activities on online safety: tips for protecting accounts, using encrypted messaging services, creating strong passwords, and storing them securely. We also distributed our digital security toolkit, a practical resource to reinforce these lessons, and invited participants to take the Free and Safe course for deeper learning.

Colors Across the City

Under the slogan No Silence, No Backtracking, the Pride March and Festival took place in Asunción on June 27, organized by the Paraguayan Network of Artists (REPAR+). The march began at the Antequera steps at 3:00 p.m. and ended at Plaza de la Democracia, where a festival with a lineup full of queer artists lit up the night. One of the community’s main demands this year was the absence of a comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Law, a debt the Paraguayan state still owes, despite a bill being introduced back in 2015 under the name “Julio Fretes Law,” which remains unapproved. TEDIC’s team actively joined the march, filling Asunción’s streets with color, pride, and a message that cannot be ignored: to exist, love, and live free from violence should not remain a demand, it should be a guarantee.

We Keep Meeting

At TEDIC, we remain committed to creating safe spaces, online and offline, for everyone. Our work goes beyond a single month. Defending the rights of LGBTIQ+ people also means defending a freer internet, a more inclusive democracy, and a society where everyone can live with dignity, freedom, and equality.