Discrimination in Bosnia

[senka]

Hello,

My name is Senka Filipovic and I am a fellow DGA student. I just
returned to the US after spending three months in Bosnia, my home
country, where I volunteered with Udruzenje Q, the only organization
in Bosnia-Herzegovina addressing the issues of discrimination and
inequality of LGBT persons. I wanted to share with you the information
about the recent events in Bosnia which are not only relevant to the
global LGBT community, but to the human rights movement in general.

Udruzenje Q is run by four incredible and brave women, and now they
also have me as a volunteer when I am at home and from afar, but they
remain a small organization for two reasons: there is a lack of
developed sense of civic responsibility in general, but more
importantly, people are too afraid to get involved in this particular
cause. This fear has been very much substantiated by various incidents
in Bosnia and examples of fierce violence during LGBT events in the
region as we have witnessed in Zagreb, Croatia and Belgrade, Serbia
over the last seven years. Recently, a call for violence has surfaced
very publicly in Bosnia due to the announcement by Udruzenje Q to hold
the first Queer Sarajevo Festival (QSF), not Pride Parade, from
September 24-28, 2008. QSF is a Festival of art and culture which
includes exhibitions, performances, public discussions, and films
aimed to raise awareness, and promote equality and human rights.

Since the announcement, a media frenzy has occurred as a result of an
intense reaction by religious communities, led by the Muslim magazine
Saff (due to the fact that QSF will take place during the month of
Ramadan - an unintentional overlap, however, Bosnia is a secular state
afterall), but we have also been condemned by both the Catholic and
Christian Orthodox Churches. While constructive discussion is
encouraged and the Festival is intended to promote public discourse
regarding LGBT issues, the tone of the criticism has become very
threatening to the safety of the organization's members and any
individuals who may choose to attend the Festival. This reaction has
encouraged a slew of threats over various media outlets, Internet
forums, etc. On the morning of September 4, 2008, the residents of
Sarajevo woke up to a city littered with posters saying “Kill Fags!”

Udruzenje Q is primarily funded by modest donations by several
international organizations and private donors, but they continue to
operate in extremely humble conditions. Due to the current
circumstances, they are particularly in need of any type of
assistance, whether financial or by being publicly supported by other
organizations and individuals, and the sharing of information. Perhaps
there are other ways to support our efforts and we are appreciative of
any suggestions.

For more information about Udruzenje Q, please visit
http://www.queer.ba/udruzenjeq/en/udruzenje.htm, and to learn more
about the Festival, please visit http://www.queer.ba/qsf-en.htm .
Visit http://www.oscebih.org/public/default.asp?d=6&article=show&id=2267
to read the most recent OSCE press release addressing the unfolding
situation in Bosnia.

If you wish to lend us support, or if you have any questions or
comments, please feel free to contact me at se...@queer.ba

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
Senka Filipovic