Soft power from within World Pride

The act of hosting mega sports events is an established practice in the realm of public diplomacy, wherein nations aim to demonstrate their existing soft power capabilities while seeking avenues for further enhancement. Soft power, conventionally defined as "the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments", or, in other words "the ability to make others want the same as you want, through attraction rather than coercion". Tools of soft power are thus culture, political values and norms, economic, social and legal policies that are considered to be praiseworthy because pursue desirable and legitimate ends. This paper explores the concept of soft power and its application in the context of World Pride, shedding light on underlying motives of cities in hosting this global celebration of queer rights and diversity. Drawing upon various World Pride examples, the paper seeks to elucidate the constitutive, performative, and discursive nature of large-scale World Pride events.