prijava
SARAJEVO, March 4 (FENA) - 'Alliance and Support' is the theme of this year's BiH Pride March which will be held on June 24, and the preparations are taking place according to schedule.
"When we talk about support, it really has to be clear and open, not declarative. Support is growing year by year, but it is still not at an enviable level, because LGBTIQ persons still feel as if they are alone and without support. This is especially visible in everyday life, on a micro level, both in families and in friendly/business atmospheres.
Even when someone is supportive, they often choose to remain silent when others speak negatively about LGBTIQ persons. It is time for all of us to step out of our comfort zones, especially those who have that privilege, and be true supporters because that's the only way LGBTIQ persons can start living safely and authentically," said a member of the Organizing Committee of the BiH Pride March Lejla Huremović.
Preparations for this year's fourth pride march, Huremović says, are proceeding as usual. The march has been reported to the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton and now a series of meetings with the institutions and all other relevant actors follow. The organizing committee of the Pride March is preparing campaigns and events in other cities, while a march will take place during Pride Month.
Speaking about the freedom of assembly as a human right, and about the Law on Freedom of Assembly itself, according to which competent institutions are allowed to impose additional measures on the organizers by assessing the risk that a certain public assembly entails, Huremović states that the law is very limiting and restrictive.
"Namely, what stands out from what the institutions are asking us to do is that if someone does not cover those additional expenses for the safety measures of the gathering, that is, if money is not allocated, we would not be able to organize the protest march.
The law must be brought in line with European standards on the issue of freedom of public assembly as a matter of urgency. This is not just a question of the pride march, even though we are the only group that is burdened with such measures, it is an issue important for all of us, because today, the pride march might be in question but tomorrow, it will surely be something else. This is something that must not be allowed," said Huremović, who was recently awarded the human rights award "Freedom, Equality, Fraternity" by the Republic of France.
The organizes of the BiH Pride March often received criticism that traffic is being closed because of the parade, that a lot of money is spent on safety, but little is said about the fact that the organizers do not want to be the ones to close down the traffic, nor that significant funds are paid for safety measures by the organizer.
"The organizing committee of the BiH Pride March when registering a protest in the movement, requests that a movement route be provided, we have never asked for the closure of additional streets, and most often it is several streets that are on the movement route. The closure of all other streets is the decision of the institutions, especially the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton and the Ministry of Transport," explains Huremović.
The BiH Pride March also changed its logo and now presents itself with a logo that reflects several important characteristics of the protest.
"The triangle symbolizes the shape of BiH, but also the pink triangle as a historically important reminder that LGBTIQ persons were persecuted during Nazi Germany, and the symbol itself became a symbol of resistance after all that. The star in the center of the triangle symbolizes our anti-fascist background of the struggle, and the star's arms additionally emphasize the decentralization of activism, that is, unification and struggle regardless of which part of Bosnia and Herzegovina people live in," says Huremović.
One of the significant steps forward when it comes to LGBTIQ persons is the act of coming out which Huremović points out is a lifelong process.
"Coming out once does not mean that you have finished the process, because every time you meet someone new, you have to go through that process, because unfortunately in our society it is not yet understood that everyone and everything has a sexual orientation or gender identity. An increasing number of LGBTIQ persons are now out, both to their parents, friends, business colleagues and beyond.
However, many people decide not to come out to everyone, because they have already experienced some form of violence, rejection or mistreatment. The question of coming out is also a question of support, the greater the support, the more LGBTIQ persons are encouraged to come out in their communities," she underlined.
When it comes to LGBTIQ persons who are active in the public arena, namely, artists or politicians, Huremović says that each of us has a personal and collective responsibility, and everyone can contribute to breaking prejudices and stereotypes towards LGBTIQ persons.
"The visibility of LGBTIQ persons is crucial for improving their position, so it would be really desirable to see LGBTIQ persons who are celebrities, artists, singers or politicians who are open about their sexuality in their communities. Of course, there is a law on the prohibition of discrimination that also protects LGBTIQ persons, and experience from the region has also shown us that is possible to be openly gay and be an active politician," underlined a member of the Organizing Committee of the BiH Pride March Lejla Huremović in an interview with FENA.
(FENA) S. R.
