In total, the Sarajevo Open Centre organized 11 events, and at least one of them is predicted to have a historical significance and impact – a thematic session in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly. More on its outcomes can be found here.

The organisers are kicked off their programme on May 6th with a seminar entitled ‘LGBT Human Rights In The Context of EU Integration: Seminar for the representatives of gender equality and human rights bodies in BiH’. The seminar lasted for three days and was supported by the Norwegian Embassy. During the three-day programme, leading experts from BiH, Croatia and Serbia have discussed problems, know-how and best practice from institutions in the region, hoping that this will lead to a stronger involvement of BiH institutions.

Part of the programme was also a countrywide online campaign, ‘FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE TOWARD YOUNG LGBT PEOPLE’, May 12th – June 16th. The campaign included a video clip about that highlights the problems LGBTQI students face.

From May 14th until May 24th there were activist-led actions in a public space, highlighting YOUNG LGBT PEOPLE. In the centre of Sarajevo, billboards with the universal message “Let people kiss whomever they want” were posted. A LGBT community event was organised. This activity was supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

Other highlights of the IDAHOT celebrations were a conference on same-sex unions/partnership in BiH, and the conference on trans* issues, which took place in Sarajevo May 31-June 2. The special guest for the trans conference was Susan Stryker, the Director of the Institute for LGBT studies at the University of Arizona (USA) and author of the book “Transgender History”, who – after the conference also gave several lectures in Sarajevo, Tuzla and Banja Luka.

As a final event of the great programme, an exhibition was hosted at the Art Gallery Collegium Artisticum (Skenderija) in Sarajevo. The Exhibition is titled “ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN FREE AND EQUAL IN DIGNITY AND RIGHTS” and was accessible from June 2nd till June 12th. The hopes are that the exhibition will be travelling on to Serbia but there is no confirmation at this point.

Following the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the UN Yogyakarta Principles from 2007 which encourage the legal standards for the protection, or the full realization of equality for LGBT persons, this exhibition seeks to present different levels of problems in achieving basic human rights for the people whose sexual orientation is different than heterosexual, through the documentary approach, while following the experience of the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Because of their sexual orientation alone, which is externally identified as their main feature, LGBT persons are relegated to the status of second class citizen, where they are exposed, often and in multiple ways, to discrimination and to the questioning of their humanity.

Find the detailed programme here.

The Ambassador of the Netherlands in BiH released a statement in support of IDAHOT. You can find the full statement here.

As representatives of The Netherlands abroad, diplomats have a role in promoting acceptance, emancipation and worldwide protection of the rights of homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people. That is not an easy mission, because these issues are sensitive issues in many countries and regions. We are aware of that and we respect that. But, as I said, considerations of tradition, culture and religion can never be sufficient to overrule the principle of the universality of human rights.

Even in countries that do not criminalize homosexual acts, gay people are often in a very difficult position – accepted for who they are by neither their family, nor their government, nor by society as a whole. Indeed, the realities of life can be harsh for LGBT people. They face major obstacles to enjoying their economic, social and cultural rights: discrimination, exclusion and even aggression are never far away. It happens at times that even where homosexuality is no longer a crime, authorities, like the police, discriminate. For instance, by not intervening in violent, homophobic incidents. This divide between legal and factual protection obstructs real equality.

 

For the third year in a row, the Sarajevo Open Center (SOC), together with other organisations, organised a series of events in commemoration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The title of the events and campaign was ‘POLJUBAC NIJE SKANDAL!’ (A Kiss is not a Scandal!)

From May 6th to 19th, through various types of activities (workshops, round tables) as well as a media campaign (TV, radio, press, internet), the Sarajevo Open Centre sent the message that a kiss between two gay pilots is not a scandal, that love is a human need, and that together, it is possible to fight against all types of violence and discrimination and for a more tolerant and better Bosnian-Herzegovinian society.

On May 17, together with the group Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, the Cure Foundation and with the support of the European Union, the SOC organised a print campaign: ‘Live and let love!’ which consists of mini campaigns and is connected to the project ‘Coming out! Advocating and Protecting LGBT People’, a visual campaign in newspapers.

IDAHOT 2014 in Sarajevo

There was also a training session organised for mental health experts called ‘(R)education on homophobia and transphobia’. This training was dedicated to experts from the field of mental health, with the goal of providing more education and improving knowledge of the specificities connected with LGB communities, and especially trans* communities, and consisted of prevention as well as therapeutic work.

On May 17, the SOC also asked several public figures to say what they think about the current situation when it comes to homophobia and transphobia in BiH, and whether BiH should officially mark this date, and therefore show commitment to respect the laws that are there to protect LGBT people from discrimination and violence. The statements collected include the musician Grof Đuraz, the director Selma Spahić, the psychologist Srđan Puhalo, the politician Besima Borić and the journalist and activist Husein Oručević.

Director, Selma Spahic, promotes the official recognition of IDAHOT. Source: lgbt.ba

In Bosnia & Herzegovina, violent attacks on LGBT communities are not unknown, and verbal attacks frequently occur on the internet and in public spaces. These events are therefore an important tool to raise awareness about the situation of LGBT people in BiH and beyond. The full program of the events can be found here.

Photo: First BH LGBT Conference December 16, 2013, Sarajevo. Source here

POLJUBAC NIJE SKANDAL! A Kiss is not a Scandal! – Events on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

On May 17th, 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from the list of internationally classified illnesses and, in so doing, confirmed the findings of the American Psychiatric Association that has already been brought forth in the 1970s.

Since 2004, this date has been celebrated as International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and officially recognised by the European Parliament as well as the parliaments of many other countries in Europe and South and North America.

From May 6th to 19th, through various types of programs (workshops, round tables) as well as a media campaign (TV, radio, press, the internet), the Sarajevo Open Centre will send the message that a kiss between two gay pilots is not a scandal, that love is a human need, and that together, we can fight against all types of violence and discrimination and for a more tolerant and better Bosnian-Herzegovinian society.

The full program can be found here

You can check out their website or Facebook page for more details on the Sarajevo Open Centre and their work. You can also follow them on Twitter.

Feminism matters because my gender identity and my sexual orientation are still the grounds upon which I’m being discriminated against, fired or bullied at school.

Feminism matters because until we achieve equality, regardless of our gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other category, societies will not develop to their fullest extent. Therefore for me the decision of becoming a human rights activist came from the fact that I cannot simply ignore inequality when I see it. I believe that discrimination against one group is the responsibility of all of us, and therefore I make of this struggle my way of living.”

Mariña Barreiro, Sarajevo Open Center, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Okvir group banner; Source.

Their full programme was as follows:

Activities for Friday, May 17th by OKVIR and friends

1. Music by Glitter Decadence
Great music from Noise Wimmin’s folder!

2. FOOD NOT BOMBS – vegan lunch by BAZA 13h – 15h
Lunch will be for donations and there would be a donation box (donations will be used to cover cost for ingredients for lunch). Donations are more than wellcome, but not obligatory.

3. Free shop TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT 13h – 18h
The main principle of free shop TAKE IT OR/AND LEAVE IT is circulation of USABLE stuff that you can find in your closets, attics, basements, shelves, balconies… So you can bring stuff that you no longer need, but you find it could be useful for somebody else. Taking stuff is not preconditioned with how much you brought or if you brought anything at all… You can bring clothes, footwear, books, sheets, bags, rucksacks, rainbow jewelery, toys, social games, cookware, household stuff, mobile phones, computer or parts for it,… basically ANYTHING! It’s only important is that is usable! One person’s thrash is another person’s treasure!

4. Having coffee with activist Slobodanka Boba Dekic 16:30h – 17:15h
Chillin’ and different dilemmas spillin’ with Boba

5. Lecture “Queer on Movie” by Aleksandar Stojakovic 18h – 20h
Homoeroticism in movies is as old as movies themselves. During this lecture we will hear about history of homoeroticism on movie screen, how homosexuality is presented in homophobic society, until LGBT emancipation and stereotypes of lesbian and gay characters; which are influential gay movies, directors, actors and actresses; what is the relevance of movies as art for sexual freedoms. Lecturer: Aleksandar Stojakovic (Center for Queer Studies, Belgrade), member of editorial staff of magazine for queer theory and culture “QT”.

6. Rainbow party @22h until we fall asleep, music by fantastic Glitter Decadence and DJ BunnyBoy!

Activists in the city also held a series of events at the Sarajevo Open Centre

This included a dedicated media campaign around IDAHO – more info about that can be found by downloading this pdf, courtesy of activists behind www.lgbt-prava.ba.

For more details in general about these events see http://lgbt-prava.ba/idaho-2013/ where there are also a set of videos available for view. The full programme of events, which took place at the Centre ares listed in the table below: