Pride before prejudice: Bosnian march faces threats

(6 Sep 2019) Bosnia's embattled gays will defy threats of violence this weekend to hold the country's first ever Pride march and appeal for solidarity in a society ripped apart by war-era divisions and poverty. The event symbolically dubbed 'Ima Izac!' or 'Coming Out!' will be held in Sarajevo on Sunday under tight security to stave off possible attacks by extremist groups that have disrupted similar events in the past. Sarajevo is the last of the Balkan capitals to schedule a pride march after neighbouring countries moved to boost LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) rights as part of effort toward European Union membership. Even so, backlash has been huge in the deeply conservative nation entrenched in policies of ethnic divisions and nationalism that fuelled the 1992-95 conflict and that still prevent Bosnia from moving forward. "We live in a society that has no space for dialogue," said Branko Culibrk, one of the activists behind the march. "We want to open a topic that will shake the society and create room for discussion." The organisers - some 15 activists from all sides of Bosnia's ethnic divide - have received support from many prominent individuals in Bosnia, fellow-activists in the region and from US and EU officials in the country who promised to join in. But fears of violence are high after queer festivals in Sarajevo were attacked by radical Islamists and hooligans in 2008 and 2014, injuring several people. Opponents are planning two gatherings this weekend while Sarajevo police have brought in reinforcements. Though any form of discrimination is formally banned, Bosnia's gays face widespread harassment and often physical attacks that are rarely prosecuted. Activist Culibrk claimed the shunning goes as far as to exclude gays from donating blood in hospitals. "We urge all people who are facing discrimination ... to help us create a society that will be more just," he said. Another activist, Nera Mesinovic, said she was forced to leave Bosnia to be able to marry her lesbian partner. Even more devastating, she said, was the fact that upon their return, the pair could no longer show affection in public. "We were attacked in the centre of the city, this happens all the time, every day," said Mesinovic. "I came back and all of a sudden I cannot hold my partner's hand, we cannot kiss in the streets." While anti-gay sentiments and incidents still exist in the predominantly patriarchal societies in the Balkans, there have been some changes - Serbia has appointed a first ever lesbian prime minister and staunchly macho-male oriented Montenegro is considering legalisation of same-sex partnerships. But scarred by the 1990s' war that killed more than 100,000 people, Bosnia remains dominated by policies of mistrust and nationalism fostering divisions between the former war foes - the Bosniaks, who are mainly Muslims, Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs. This has made promotion of liberal ideas in the country difficult amid widespread poverty which is driving educated young people away in tens of thousands. In Sarajevo, ruling party officials have been among the Pride critics: Samra Cosovic-Hajdarevic from the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, sparked outrage months ago when she called for gays to be "isolated from our children and our society." Others in the ruling coalition recently demanded the event be cancelled. Pride organisers, however, insisted that Bosnia needs tolerance, unity and solidarity more than anything else. Mesinovic says the fact that people from all over the country joined forces to organise the pride shows this is possible. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...