LGBT Outcries From the Region

 

The whole world is following the uprisings happening not only in Egypt, but in the whole Arab world. How is it to be in the middle of that movement? Is it a transition for a better? Or a neutral? “A revolution without dancing is not a revolution worth having” says Emma Goldman. How about we say the same for “a revolution without LGBTs”?

I believe it’s fascinating to witness such historical days at my age. I’ve never seen Egyptians in this state of incredible motivation for change, democracy and justice. Of course there is discomfort and instability but it’s a revolution after all and there is no revolution without political and social mess afterwards.

It’s too early to know if it’ll be better for LGBT or not, since already we didn’t achieve most of the best outcomes of the revolution yet. Mubarak has fallen but his men are still in the temple! Things are not clear right now especially after that the majority voted against having a whole new constitution rather than just little changes in the current one. Also people depressed me with their response against demolishing Article No. 2 of the Constitution (which states that Arabic is the main language, Islam is the religion and all laws have to follow Sharia’) which leaves no hope of having a secular state for starters, let alone having LGBT rights!

 

 

 

 

 

Networking is one of the main goals of every movement. Only with a bigger support and cooperation we can achieve change.

The Bosnian-Herzegovinian LGBT movement is after some very good steps back to the beginning phase. We hope that threw our cultural projects we will achieve some change in the society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macedonia is a highly homophobic country. In 1996 the sexual acts between men (women’s homosexuality was never punishable in ex-Yugoslavia) were decriminalized quietly, only because it was a condition for membership in the Council of Europe. Nobody has ever explained why it was a crime until then, and why it is not anymore. Nobody has ever apologized to the homosexual men for treating them as criminals, only because of their sexual orientation for fifty years.

Having on mind this homophobic atmosphere, it is clear why the LGBT people are not well organized. There are three organizations working on the LGBT issues: Macedonian Association for Free Sexual Orientation – MASSO (not active since 2008), Equality for Gays and Lesbians – EGAL (mainly focused on gay health issues) and Coalition for Sexual and Health Rights of the Marginalized Groups, working on the rights of sex workers, drug users and LGBT people. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia has also an LGBT programme. But with closure of MASSO, there is no organization exclusively focused on advocacy for legal and social changes for LGBT people.

In the past five years, the conservative Demo-Christian party is openly attacking LGBT people, seeing us as a “sick part of the Macedonian healthy national body”. This negative rhetoric from the ruling party is also used for other groups of people, especially the independent journalists, intellectuals, but also all other political subjects who are not in governmental coalition. This negative campaign has one positive effect: it has brought together a lot of different groups. LGBT people got support from a various entities, including the political parties in the opposition. This is something that can be used in the future for more substantial changes regarding the rights and status of the LGBT people in the society, when the opposition comes into power. That is an opportunity which must be used by the LGBT activists. Now strengthening of the LGBT community should be priority.

 

Very few active civil movements are present in Georgia; political and religious groups are much more frequent. There are only two non-profit organizations which deal with LGBT issues: Diversity Research and Community Activism Association (DRCAA) is working on local LGBT community empowerment and  public awareness-raising  and  Women’s Initiative Supporting Group (WISG) is working mostly with LBT women. It is early to talk about an LGBT movement in Georgia, since the community  has yet to consolidate as a group with short and long term goals. Fear of coming out and being discovered, reinforced by social and economic difficulties that many community members are facing, prevents them from being actively involved in the movement.

 

 

Tamta Melashvili, Diversity Research and Community Activism Association, Georgia 
Giorgi Gotsiridze, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Georgia

 

Nationalism, as the act of isolating the different, is from its nature a xenophobic ideology. Greek nationalism built on the triptych “motherland, religion, family” finds a very fertile base to support a homophobic environment. On the one side, the Orthodox religion, which proclaims homosexuality as an unnatural behavior and on the other side the strong traditional principle of the “heterosexual family structure”, leaves only a small space for homosexuality to express itself and only under the name of the “abnormal minority”. The fight against homophobia is a constant fight against conservatism and its steady, outdated values.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will limit my response to one specific and striking illustration. Although Greek LGBT activists have always been aware of the hypocrisy and homophobia inherent in Greece society, the connection between homophobia and nationalism was stunningly illuminated by the reactions to the 2010 Athens Pride poster. A photo of one of Greece’s most nationalistic symbols, an Evzone Guard, in front of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was overprinted with the words “gays, lesbians, bis and trans” and our 2010 slogan, “We Are Everywhere.” The idea that this embodiment of Hellenic manhood, bravery in the battle for Greek independence, and national pride could be usurped by “perverts” and “fags” produced unprecedented venom and threats of violence (which fortunately remained in words) from every reactionary and religious front. This was to be expected. But even more revealing were the negative reactions from society’s more moderate elements, who accused us of being unnecessarily provocative by “defaming” this “sacred” symbol. Of course, no one objects when waiters dress up in this costume to sell lamb chops! So, apparently, Greek Queers are not permitted to be “real” Greeks, with equal rights to the national symbols of Hellas.

 

 

Violence and the exposure of visible LGBT activists to threats and violence are surely circumstances that demotivate a lot of young potential activists to join LGBT groups, as well as fear of discrimination on job place or problems in the family. Lack of state grants for direct action and direct aid activities, such as organizing legal help, protest marches, pride events, advocacy. If there is a financial support from governmental or local authorities, they are usually directed to LGBT cultural and social policies, although they are not enough even in this sectors. We are often perceived as not really political, as not really relevant, as asking for privileges and not for basic human rights. Media, if they are LGBT-friendly, prefers personal coming-out stories, and to often ignore that LGBT movement is not just directed against homo/transphobia, but that embraces a fight for all kinds of differences, for an open and sexually free society. The strong influence of religious organizations usually has a very negative impact on politicians and the general public attitudes about LGBTIQ people.

 

When our endeavours result in a big or a small victory, such as a new law, a gained mediatic visibility, an LGBTIQ person that is empowered, then the weak sides can be seen as strong sides, because it can be also very self-satisfactory for an organization to reach very concrete results in a mostly not-friendly environment. Changes are visible, there is a sense doing LGBT activism: the general public is every year more and more sensible to LGBT issues, we slowly, but unstoppably, are entering the institutional  mainstream, he have more and more influence, and what is the most important the we, at least in Croatia, have a stronger, bigger, more open and diverse LGBT community.

 

Our allies/supporters... Other NGOs, especially those dealing with human rights, women’s rights, feminist, pacifist, antifascist and left-wing youth and student’s organizations. Some centre-left and liberal political parties, at the moment at the opposition in Croatia, have shown a certain degree of support and promoted some laws protecting LGBT rights, but their support is still not without calculation and their doors are not always open for us. In the last years in sensible a more higher degree of support from the LGBT community in general, especially from younger lesbians and gays.

Franko Dota, Domino-Queer Zagreb, Croatia 
Gordan Bosanac, Zagreb Pride, Croatia

 

 It could be easily said that a dense political tension has its affects on any activist cause. Military conflicts and political agendas can act to its detriment by pushing human and civil rights issues to a lesser national priority, or on the contrary, to its benefit by raising awareness to social matters that can bridge between opposing political powers. However, my personal opinion is that as a person acting to create a change in society, these struggles can’t be taken separately. I don’t see myself as an LGBT activist, but as an activist for a better society as a whole. In that sense, the plight for human and civil rights is universal. Whilst I do act predominantly within my immediate community, my aim is to raise attention and encourage activism in wider issues and for other communities, including political issues and conflicts. The fight for human rights is as important in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for example, as it is in LGBT issues. If anything, the successes we have seen along the years with LGBT rights in Israel, show us that our society is in fact progressive and able to change. This fills us with hope regarding other issues that are very present in our society.

 

In case with IWPR Armenia Branch, which is a media support organization trying to build bridges between neighboring countries that are currently in frozen conflict, it is sometimes difficult to ensure people that its activities will not harm Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh. In this context we sometimes met some acts of aggression from nationalists or nationalistic groups/NGOs, but we try to build good relations with them to avoid public anger. And in case if we fail, we just ignore them.

 

Even though we have some positive changes, it still to be quite chaotic. First is the lack of clear state policies toward LGBT issue in general. Some of Balkan states are more pro-European orientated and some other are more close to Russia, so in the Balkan region there is no clear idea what to do with LGBTs. On the other hand, there is no clear politics among LGBT organizations either. More or less, every Balkan country have several LGBT organizations, but (it is something like a rule) almost all have different approaches on LGBT activism. Very often organizations are not able to find common interest and make one unique platform for social chance in they countries or region in general.

Also, there is huge gap between so called international standards and local situation. Very often, we, as LGBT activist, are forced to give support to the international standards, as well as to nations (so called) standards in understanding of human rights. In example, for Serbian Government Human Rights is something “we must do” – without space for support, promotion and quality work on this issue.

Where do I place our activism in Europe? If you asked me about LGBT activism in Serbia, there are some positive steps forward. We organize first Pride Parade; make a new organization that will organize every future Pride... Also there are some visible results like some law changes... If you asked me from my personal level, I’m happy to be part of group of people who want to change something permanently and well thought art, culture, publishing and opening of different kinds of dialogue in society.

 

 

 

That is true, most of the time we leave our countries to Western countries in order to have our peace and freedom. However, we have a long history of homosexuality in the East but it is forbidden. The love between two same sex is not allowed and we are illegal citizens. But in the Western countries rights are being respected and diversity is a a cultural value. In my opinion, Eastern countries do prefer to live in denial.

Nothing can stop people from leaving but political and cultural changes. However, homophobia does not have any border and we can let people to discriminate us against if we do not have self confidence and accurate information about who we are and what we want. Afghanis escape to Iran, Iranians escape to Turkey, Turkish escape to Germany, and it continues... The interesting point is that these people still have some sort of difficulties in their new countries because either they do not have self confidence or they do not know why they left.