31/10/2012 | Writer: Boban Stojanovic
Labris, Queeria Center, Gayten, Safe Pulse of Youth, Belgrade Pride Parade, the Come Out Group and Duga Associations gathered in Serbia to support the LGBT community in Macedonia.
Labris, Queeria Center, Gayten, Safe Pulse of Youth, Belgrade Pride Parade, the Come Out Group and Duga Associations gathered in Serbia to support the LGBT community in Macedonia.
The non-governmental organisations Labris and Queeria Center organised a protest gathering today outside the embassy of Macedonia in Belgrade. They were also joined by other LGBT organisations: Gayten, Safe Pulse of Youth, Belgrade Pride Parade, the Come Out Group (Izađi) from Novi Sad and Duga (Rainbow) Association from Šabac.
The gathering was organised because of extreme display of homophobia in Macedonia, especially after several statements of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski who earlier this month said that “same sex partners should never be allowed the right to marry“ and refused to talk about the adoption topic that is within the Law. He repeated these statements on TV channel SITEL, where he compared homosexuality with incest, paedophilia and polygamy. The articles on LGBT persons which were illustrated with pornographic photographs in newspaper “Večer” followed these statements.
The additional concern is increased by the fact that according to ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association), Macedonia is the country with the highest degree of homophobia in Europe.
The organisers of the gathering sent a letter to the Ambassador of Macedonia in Belgrade Ljubisa Georgievski, and condemned the members of the Macedonian government, members of clergy as well as media, which use their position to enhance the intolerance against LGBT community in Macedonia.
“The experience from the entire region indicates that statements like the ones given by Ristovski enhance intolerance and incite violence against LGBT people, especially activists working in that field of human rights. We fear that, if this situation continues, LGBT community will face increasingly aggressive hate speech and violence “– the letter sent to the Ambassador stated.
The gathering organised in Belgrade today is one in a series of protests, organised by the LGBT organisations from the entire region, as a sign of solidarity with LGBT community in Macedonia.
More photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.480792641952166.109304.126400610724706&type=1
The gathering was organised because of extreme display of homophobia in Macedonia, especially after several statements of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski who earlier this month said that “same sex partners should never be allowed the right to marry“ and refused to talk about the adoption topic that is within the Law. He repeated these statements on TV channel SITEL, where he compared homosexuality with incest, paedophilia and polygamy. The articles on LGBT persons which were illustrated with pornographic photographs in newspaper “Večer” followed these statements.
The additional concern is increased by the fact that according to ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association), Macedonia is the country with the highest degree of homophobia in Europe.
The organisers of the gathering sent a letter to the Ambassador of Macedonia in Belgrade Ljubisa Georgievski, and condemned the members of the Macedonian government, members of clergy as well as media, which use their position to enhance the intolerance against LGBT community in Macedonia.
“The experience from the entire region indicates that statements like the ones given by Ristovski enhance intolerance and incite violence against LGBT people, especially activists working in that field of human rights. We fear that, if this situation continues, LGBT community will face increasingly aggressive hate speech and violence “– the letter sent to the Ambassador stated.
The gathering organised in Belgrade today is one in a series of protests, organised by the LGBT organisations from the entire region, as a sign of solidarity with LGBT community in Macedonia.
More photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.480792641952166.109304.126400610724706&type=1
Tags: life
