"WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF LOVE" EVEN IN SERBIA

Sunday September,20 2009, was supposed to be day of the 2nd Gay Pride in Belgrade Serbia (with a great video ads proclaiming that "we should be proud of love"), but unfortunately police has declared 48 hours before the even that they are not able to protect minorities that were supposed to walk the streets. Knowing how badly the first tentative has ended those organizing the event have decided to cancel the parade.


The planned itinerary of canceled Gay Pride Parade

Even tho since I have left my natal country, Serbia has slightly evolved in past 12 years in terms of homophobia, by voting to protect the rights of the minorities (gays included), little has in every day life and gay rights.



As it happened before in many countries around the world celebrities artists and some brave politicians are for the equal rights but a majority of population still believes that being gay is agains nature, but abusing alcohol, taking drugs, carrying guns and shooting people around you, etc... are sadly acceptable (sounds familiar?). So like in every country where those that are religious have all the rights (including the right to discriminate agains others) it is very hard to spread the belief that equality is the only fair thing.



Before the decision of the cancelation of Gay Pride in Belgrade was taken police was planning to deploy 5,000 policemen to protect 500 protesters (estimated by organizers). Some of the prominent figures of Serbian music scene are agains any gay rights and visibility and have publicly suggested that they would physically fight anyone who would participate in such an event.



Those and many other treats from the extremist groups were the reason that one more time Gays in serbia will not be able to demand their right and publicly show their need for equality. But there was no problem organizing Family Pride that was a way of orthodox christian demonstrating that family values are the only values acceptable in Serbia.


"We are expecting you" extremist organization treats

I use this occasion to thank those very few brave ones that are ready to rase their voice for equality and with their celebrity status they might be heard one day: Mirjana Karanović, Bebi Dol, Milutin Petrović, Kebra, Nikola Đuričko (who participated in this TV campaign as shown above), and many more artists like Mira Skoric... THANK YOU



I must say that there is a positive thing coming out of this, and that is that the government is realizing that they need to act on their lever and they have promised that from this coming monday they will be in discussion with LGBT organizations trying to find the way for LGBT community to be protected and eventually get at least some recognition and elementary rights.