Organizing Zagreb Pride

Located in a former squat, which has been transformed into an artist collective, Chad and I find the headquarters of Zagreb Pride.  It’s a colorful room with posters plastered on the wall highlighting past (and the current) Prides.  Ten of the organizers of Zagreb Pride are meeting to discuss the newest developments concerning Saturday’s march.

While the Pride march in Zagreb has been going on since 2002, it has not been an easy journey.  Many of the past parades have been marred by violence, and organizers continually have to battle with government officials and the police concerning details of how the march is held.

Sitting around on sofas the Zagreb Pride organizing committee discusses the latest issue affecting the pride.  While the police have agreed to protect the marchers, they are standing firm that participants should not walk down the street.  Instead, the police feel that the marchers should walk along the sidewalks – sandwiched between street kiosks and buildings.  Another problem, the government has also approved a counter-demonstration by the youth branch of the HČSP (Croatian Pure Party of Rights), a right wing nationalist party in Croatia, to be held at the same time as the Pride march – and in the main square.  Many feel this is inviting trouble, as the Pride march will be passing this same main square, making it so those participating in the Pride march will be coming in direct contact with those against the pride.  However, as international monitors, including those from the EU and Amnesty International, will be in attendance there is the strong belief that those against the Pride will be kept under control by law enforcement.

After an hour or so of discussions, the meeting breaks and everyone disburses.  While the issues the organizers are facing are frustrating, they are not uncommon, especially in places where homophobia makes it a struggle to publicly show pride.



Turkey’s Transsexual Community: A Day in the Life …

We meet Sevval again the next morning at her morning job with Women’s Door – it’s a developement foundation that helps those in the sex industry with medical and legal aid.  The young lady we saw at the LGBTT headquarters with the bruised face drops by the office, and Sevval translates her story.

On June 5, this young woman was working on a street when 5 young guys approached her and began insulting her, when she told them to go away and stop bothering her, they attacked.  She almost reached the entrance of a shop to escape, but they dragged her back and started beating her.  When the police arrived they were not sympathetic, pulling her up by the hair and implying she deserved it.  Two of these young men were under 18.  Today Sevval is using a camcorder to record an interview with her, while Chad takes some pictures that she can provide her lawyer.

There are not many employment options for most transsexuals in Turkey, resulting in nearly all currently working or having worked in the sex industry.  While it is never easy to ‘come out’ for those in the lesbian and gay community, it is not uncommon for post-op transsexuals to find themselves almost completely without options for work.  This has a lot to do with the country’s constitution, which has no anti-sexual discrimination laws.  It is also a key issue that the Istanbul LGBTT group is trying to draw public attention too.

Ultra-nationalists March Down the Streets of Bucharest in Protest of Homosexuality

We almost missed the counter-march by the ‘New Right’ Romania Nationalist group.  Walking back from breakfast, the morning of the GayFest march, we spotted some young men with shaved heads and large signs depicting homophobic messages.  They were just beginning their march from Revolution Square, through a mile of city streets, to Union Square.

I would say there was a small crowd of about 100-150 people in attendance.  Their march was called – the “March for Normality”.  Many were dressed in large black boots, shaved heads, military style camo-pants, and black shirts etched with the image of a white Celtic cross, they looked intimidating.  However, as we were told beforehand by members of the LGBT community, this group isn’t necessarily violent, and being a nationalist organization with a variety of issues that concern it, not just homosexuality, they usually only put on a demonstration against LGBT people maybe once a year, and leave the community alone during the rest of the time.

More energetic than Friday’s “March for Families,” these men, and some women, strode down the main streets of Bucharest, as the rain poured down, to deliver their message against homosexuality.  Following an old car with an oversized speaker hanging out the rear, the group was led in chants and hate-slogans.  As the rain increased the participants yelled in victory – hoping this would mean difficulties for the afternoon’s pride march.

Family Values March Sends Homophobic Message

While Romania’s Gay-Fest march will take place tomorrow on Saturday, May 22, this afternoon the Families-Alliance held a counter-demonstration.  The alliance, which is a joint effort between the Romanian Orthodox Forum (FOR) Families and the Alliance of Romania (AFR), called on those supporting “Christian values and family life” and against “sexual perversions” to rally and display their beliefs.  AFR is a nationalist group that promotes traditionalist values in Romania.

The skies were beginning to darken as Chad and I showed up at Kretzulescu church, an Eastern Orthodox church in central Bucharest, and the meeting place for the “March for Families”.  The march was set for 5:30pm, but the time came and went with only a few people gathered.  Closer to 6, people with banners started to show up, and the event got organized.  A local pretzel vendor spotted the gathering, and began doing a steady business as parents who’d brought along their kids for the anti-homosexuality march bought snacks.  Seeing young kids at these rallies always makes me wonder.  As these groups pride themselves on having family values, it seems a bit sad that they seem so concerned with teaching the value of intolerance.

It was raining by the time the march got underway.  Just over 100 people had gathered to participate.  It struck me that no one was holding crosses, or chanting messages, instead it was a somber procession of people (and children) rather silently walking in the rain while showing their anti-homosexuality banners.  People on the street watched, as the group was escorted by police down main city streets.

Everyone hustled along in the rain for almost 3km, when the march finally reached its’ ending point of Piata Unirii.

It will be this spot that tomorrow’s Gay-Fest march will take place.

Slavic Pride 2010

Slavic Pride 2010 has just taken place …

A total of 12 people were arrested, including 2 Russians who are organizers for St Petersburg Pride.  There were also 18 skinheads arrested.

Ukgaynews.org.uk is publishing a continuing story of the events going on in Belarus. – (Blogging from Belarus)

Here’s an excerpt:

15:08 Minsk had its gay pride march.  For just 10 minutes, 40  Belarusians and Russians waived a 12 meters long rainbow flag for a short march of approximately 200 meters.  They were at first met by a large group of journalists, photographers and TV crew.  But when they reached the first crossing point, they were trapped by several vans of anti-riot police.  Suddenly, the doors of the vans opened and anti-riot officers ran towards the participants. “I never saw anything of the kind” said Nikolai Alekseev by mobile phone.  “They were brutal and violent” he added.  Another participant who did not want to be named said: “It was like a group of wild dogs”.  The march ended with most of the participants being arrested and violently beaten.  A few managed to escape but the police ran after them.

Video of Slavic Pride 2010

Photos will be following on our main website:
http://www.walkwithpridenow.com

Update from Minsk

Between 30 to 40 protesters blocked the entrance of the Crowne Plaza Hotel last night in Minsk in an attempt to stop the viewing of the documentary movie “Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride,” and the official start of Slavic Pride 2010. Police showed up on the scene and the group disbanded about an hour later. During the viewing a bomb threat was called into the hotel, and the participants were moved to another floor.

Homophobia in Minsk, Belarus - May 14, 2010

Meeting with the Organizers

Photographer’s Perspective
Written by Charles Meacham

It was with a bit of sad irony that Sergey Yenin would choose Independence Square to meet me.  The 20 year old LGBT activist who now lives in Warsaw has returned once again to Minsk with the task to help organize and lead this year’s Slavic Pride.  His goal isn’t an easy one.  Officially banned by the Belarusian government, Slavic Pride is illegal, making those that plan to break the government’s ban criminals.  But being arrested isn’t the worse scenario the LGBT community can think of.  Belarus is still rife with homophobia and several death threats have been received in recent days.  Having attended the Prides in Moscow, Sergey knows how bad things can get.

We duck down into the crowded Minsk subway and pop up by a small housing community made up of grey rectangular concrete apartment buildings.  Sergey apologizes in advance for the state of Gay Belarus’ office, but money is scarce and a room in one of the other organizer’s flat is all that is in the budget.  I am immediately offered a cup of tea and we begin to chat about our lives.  It’s hard for me, someone twice his age, to comprehend the drive of this young man – what he has already done, and what he plans to do.  The phone rings, and Sergey receives word that the printer of the first edition of the organization’s magazine has refused to finish the order due to a political sketch of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.  I suggest to Sergey to leave the space blank, but with an explanation of the empty space.  The printer agrees to do the job, and the deadline will be met.

Sergey at Gay Belarus Office

We go back down into the metro to meet a couple of Australians here doing a film documentary on the Pride.  The four of us then catch a cab and head to an apartment where Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseev is staying.  Having organized Moscow’s Prides, which face similar circumstances Nikolai has in his own words “A lot of experience in such matters.”  The atmosphere in the apartment is relaxed but an air of uncertainty looms.  Nikolai gives the Australian film crew an interview, and the room falls silent.  His words are honest and inspirational.

Nikolai being interviewed

The location of the Pride is being kept a secret until an hour before the meet, and the group’s main focus is now on having not only the most effective display, but the safety of everyone involved.  When asked what he would like to achieve from Saturday’s Pride he simply answers “A peaceful demonstration and the right for discussion.”  With Saturday only two days away everyone seems to be holding their breath and waiting.

To find more updates about Slavic Pride, here’s the link to the Gay Belarus website – http://gaybelarus.by/english.html