The government of Montenegro hosted the Third International Ministerial IDAHO Forum 10-12th May.

The forum was titled “Ending hate crime and violence” and gathered senior representatives of national governments, the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament, Law Enforcement and the European Govermental LGBT Focal Points Network representatives, as well as members of international and national non-governmental organizations dealing with LGBTI issues. The governments and civil society from across Europe dicussed and committed to improving the situation of LGBTQI-people.

Participants released a video message from the forum to LGBTQI Youth.

The programme included discussions and presentations such as:

• Two Years of Impact working for lasting change: Progress achieved to date on the agenda by European IDAHO Forums 2013-2015

• Taking a comprehensive approach tackling discrimination in Europe: Hate Crime, Bias Crimes and Violence Against LGBTI People

• 3rd IDAHO informal Ministerial meeting
(for Ministers from the EU and the Region only)

• Combating Myths and Stereotypes with Tools for Police and Judicial Education on LGBTI: A review of the best available practices to combat myths and stereotypes about LGBTI people

• Regional approach: Mutual learning, exchange of best practices and cooperation in combating discrimination and promoting equality for LGBTI people

One of the main events at the forum was the publication of two documents by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the Fundamental Rights Agency that represent a true tipping point for the achievement of intersex human rights.

The Issue Paper on “Human Rights and Intersex people” published by the Commissioner Mr. Nils Muižnieks comprehensively maps how the medical norms of so-called female and male bodies have led to routine, non-consensual, medical interventions based on the misheld belief that sex is a dichotomy. The document also highlights the shame and secrecy around intersex bodies that allow these practices to go on for decades now, while the human rights of intersex people have been at stake and, for the most part, unaddressed.

Read more here.

Since 2013, all European Institutions, major NGOs and specific LGBT networks, like the “Rainbow Cities” gather on the IDAHOT week for a regional conference which debates over policy issues at EU levels on LGBT matters.

After Netherlands and Malta, the conference will be hosted this year by the Montenegrin government

Also part of the IDAHOT week celebration, there will the screening of the film “Prayers for Bobby”, followed by a discussion with the directors of the movie, Ulrike Lunacek (Vice-President of the European Parliament  and member of the IDAHO Committee Advisory Board), Dimitrios Papadimoulis (Vice-president of the European Parliament), and activists.

Third International Ministerial IDAHO Forum 10-12th May

Third IDAHO Forum titled “Ending hate crime and violence”, hosted by the Government of Montenegro, will take place on May 10-12, 2015, marking this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

It will gather senior representatives of national governments, the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament, Law Enforcement and the European Govermental LGBT Focal Points Network representatives, as well as members of international and national non-governmental organizations dealing with LGBTI issues.

Forum, to be held in Montenegro, will address several topics, through panels, sessions and meetings, such as:

• Two Years of Impact working for lasting change: Progress achieved to date on the agenda by European IDAHO Forums 2013-2015 

• Taking a comprehensive approach tackling discrimination in Europe: Hate Crime, Bias Crimes and Violence Against LGBTI People 

• 3rd IDAHO informal Ministerial meeting
(for Ministers from the EU and the Region only)

• Combating Myths and Stereotypes with Tools for Police and Judicial Education on LGBTI: A review of the best available practices to combat myths and stereotypes about LGBTI people 

• Regional approach: Mutual learning, exchange of best practices and cooperation in combating discrimination and promoting equality for LGBTI people 

• European Court of Human Rights promoting and protecting LGBT people’s human rights.

As part of IDAHO Forum 2015, 14th Roundtable of the European Governmental LGBT Focal Points Network (Invitational), Informal Intergovernmental Organizations coordination meeting on LGBTI issues (IGO’s only) and presentation “Human rights of intersex people: challenges ahead” will be organized.

All details HERE

LGBT organizations in Podgorica welcomed May 17 with a 3 days long film festival and a new publication on testimonies on social exclusion of the LGBT community.

LGBT Forum Progress released a new publication in the month of May. The new publication “Myths and stereotypes – Violence and hate speech towards the LGBT persons: Police and judicial practice in Montenegro” represents a testimony on the social exclusion of the LGBT community, that is, the social criminalization of LGBT persons.

Also Queer Montenegro held a 3 day long international queer film festival in Podgorica. The program started on May 18 and ended on May 20, attracting activists also from neighboring countries.

To see a full list of the program and movies:
http://queermontenegro.org/vijesti/73-katalog-merlinka-festivala-merlinka-festival-catalogue

Photo: Police lines at Sunday’s Podgorica pride march. Source: AFP/Savo Prelevic

A helicopter hovered above the crowds, along the parade route, as participants – many of them young people – carried banners and pride flags. Opponents, some several hundred and mostly teenagers, however gathered to disrupt and attack the march, hurling missiles and attempting to break through police lines at various points along the route. They reportedly also vandalised some shop fronts along the route.

Police fired tear gas in an effort to protect the march, whilst 60 people were injured; 20 police officers and 40 people from what they described as the ‘hooligan groups’, officials said.

Albanian Human Rights project Historia-ime.com reports that a number of counter-demonstrators took refuge in a nearby city church, and that – reportedly – a television station building was also attacked:

“Policemen were situated not only at the boulevard, in the streets and crossroads but also on the top of every building close to the march. The other parts of Podgorica especially the place where a recently inaugurated orthodox church is situated was almost occupied by the hooligans who found refuge from the police inside the church. The priests were in that moment preaching against the pride. Some sources said that the building of a television was also attacked, while the official website of some mainstream media were down after their traffic was extremely increased by readers in need to get information.”

  Still from BBC news report (video): Source.

Photos by Erjon Tela: Source.

One of the organisers, Danijel Kalezic, commented “As of today, gay people are no longer invisible in Montenegro… From today, these streets are ours as well.”

Sunday’s Podgorica pride is only the second ever pride march in the largely conservative Balkan country, after Budva pride was marked by similar clashes in July 2013.

Montenegro is in the process of applying for EU membership and securing space for public expression of LGBT rights is widely viewed as a test of the country’s commitment to human rights.

Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Suad Numanovic, spoke at a rally. “Montenegro has once again proved that freedom of assembly and freedom of speech is guaranteed to all regardless of their gender or creed.”

After the march the participants were evacuated in police vehicles to a safe location.

For more information see:

• Historia IME: Clashes in Podgorica during pride parade, the hooligans fins refuge in a church
• BBC: Clashes in Montenegro during gay pride march
• The Guardian: Montenegro Police Clash with Extremists at Gay Pride March

A total of 25 people submitted essays on the topic “How could young people participate in making the learning environment of the sexual minorities of Mongolia more enabling?”

About 50 people gathered for the ceremony, including representatives of UN agencies and civil society.

Photos of the two latest victims of homo/transphobia were laid alongside flowers and candles at the entrance to the embassy. A strong message was addressed to the Turkish Prime Minister, President and the Turkish Ambassador in Montenegro.

Activists also created a campaign entitled “Live Your Life” aimed at increasing the level of knowledge and awareness about homo/transphobia in Montenegrin society. The campaign represents the aspiration to create conditions in which LGBT people can fully enjoy respect and equality. It was also a message for other citizens to reconsider their actions and become aware of how hatred can influence words and actions.