Pride Week comes weeks after Mongolia passed laws protecting LGBTI people from hate crimes.

Mongolia’s Pride Week launched over the weekend with organizers anticipating it would be its biggest yet.

The week started with a parade called the Equality Walk and was attended by locals, dignitaries and expats. It was followed by a concert and parties that went well into the night.

In the lead up to Pride Week, Mongolia’s LGBT Centre held a crowdfunding campaign to support the festivities because they anticipated they would have their biggest year yet.

Despite only having four staff, the LGBT Centre has been a successful champion of LGBT rights in the central Asian nation.

Since 2009 it lobbied for LGBT people to be protected from hate crimes, with laws passing in July this year.