The Organizing Committee of BiH Pride March held a press conference today to announce the first BiH Pride March which is to take place on 8 September 2019 in Sarajevo. The initiative to organize this event comes from the LGBTIQ community, a group of activists from Prijedor, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Bijeljina, Tuzla and other parts of BiH.

That is why the first Pride March of the BiH LGBTIQ community is organized under the slogan “Door, please!” – an expression often heard in public transportation across Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also refers to opening the door of the proverbial closet when LGBTIQ people come out—that is when they reveal their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or sex characteristics to themselves or others.

“BiH finally gets its Pride March, a protest against inequality and violation of human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer persons. It is a fight against violence and a demand for access to public space equal to that of all other citizens who can organize protests”, said Branko Ćulibrk, an activist and member of the Organizing Committee of the first BiH Pride March.

An activist and a member of the Organizing Committee, Lejla Huremović, said at the press conference that in Pride March the LGBTIQ persons from BiH are not fighting only for their freedoms, but for the freedoms of all persons and groups subjected to violence, discrimination and those otherwise excluded from the society. She emphasized that LGBTIQ persons are exposed to discrimination and violence on a daily basis, in their families, schools, public institutions and on the street.

“This morning we submitted the announcement of Pride March to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Transport of Sarajevo Canton. We underline that human rights are not exclusive to just one segment of BiH society. We call upon the institutions to do their job responsibly, and all the citizens to demonstrate solidarity in the first BiH Pride March”, said Dajana Bakić, an activist and member of the Organizing Committee of the first BiH Pride March.

The members of the Organizing Committee of the first BiH Pride March sent out a message that they are happy and committed to finally bring Pride to the LGBTIQ community.

Share This