The 2023 Ljubljana Pride Parade highlighted the continued need to fight for the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community as two incidents mired otherwise joyful festivities on 17 June that organisers say attracted a crowd of 3,500.

The evening before the parade, unknown perpetrators broke a window with a rainbow flag in Pritličje, a popular venue right next to Town Hall that is owned by a prominent LGBTIQ+ rights activist.

"After the [2009] attack of neonazis on Cafe Open, after all the verbal and physical attacks on the LGBTIQ+ community, public instigation of hatred has materialised yet again. History repeats itself and continues," Pritličje said on Twitter.

And today, before the parade, a young woman draped in a rainbow flag was assaulted at Bavarski Dvor, a busy transport junction located on the route of the parade, several media have reported.

A minor altercation occurred at another point along the route of the parade as a group of young men and women held up a large banner saying "There are only two genders," eliciting boos from the participants of the parade.

The slogan is similar to a campaign launched by the youth wing of the Democrats (SDS), the right-wing conservative party, under the slogan "Two genders, one truth."

The parade capped two weeks of festivities and activism under the slogan Multiple Communities, One Struggle, a slogan the organisers say embraces the diversity of LGBTIQ+ movements, identities and struggles.

"The intertwining of our realities and interdependencies of diverse communities means that everyone is fighting one fight: for freedom, equality, dignity, a safe future, and an empowered community - for all and everywhere," they said.

They highlighted the need for solidarity in the face of racism, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, interphobia, violence and other forms of oppression which they say demands "even more radical international solidarity."

The same message was echoed in speeches at the end of the parade, which featured representatives of pride movements from Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine.

President Nataša Pirc Musar became the first Slovenian head of state to address the parade, describing it in her keynote as more than just a colourful event and rainbow flags.

"It is an expression of the fight for human dignity. It is a protest with the clear message that every human being, regardless of their sexual orientation, sexual identity or sexual expression is worthy of respect, love and equal treatment," she said.

She said the event was also an opportunity to promote change in society and a reminder that a lot of work remains to be done in order to ensure equality for everyone.

"Pride is a strong emotion that can initiate positive change. When people enter the streets with pride and confidence, they show others that acceptance is essential and that love is what makes us richer and better, good and noble. Love has no labels, no explanations. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life," she said.

Several other senior officials attended the parade, among them Labour Minister Luka Mesec, and Minister for a Solidarity-Based Future Simon Maljevac, who is Slovenia's first openly gay member of government.