How Sarajevo’s upcoming Pride march could turn the tables on ethnonationalism

 | 
07/18/2019

In June, many countries across the Western Balkans celebrated Pride Month with marches or parades — with one notable exception. Bosnia remains the only country in the region where a Pride march has yet to occur. But this unflattering record may not stand for long, with plans now underway for the first Bosnian Pride march on Sept. 8 in Sarajevo. The significance of this event cannot be overstated for a country still wrestling with its past. The last time an overtly pro-LGBT public gathering occurred in Bosnia, at the 2008 Sarajevo Queer Festival, an angry mob attacked those present. A familiar combination of religious extremists and hooligans joined forces, injuring eight. So why is Bosnia an outlier in the region in terms of LGBT exposure and rights? The country, of course, experienced a bloody war in the 1990s, and the postwar has seen it remain mired in chauvinism and corruption. Instead of embracing socially progressive attitudes after the conflict, ethnonationalist politicians have cultivated a heteronormative, rigidly patriarchal, family-centered narrative to keep themselves in power.

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 10/15/2024
10/15/2024
Martin Nyambura, not his real name, is an accomplished medical doctor at a major hospital in Nairobi. He is also a gay man struggling …
Added on: 10/15/2024
10/14/2024
Democrats and Republicans have had completely different stances on funding LGBTQ+ rights around the world through development aid. Since 2011, Democratic presidents have supported …
Added on: 10/15/2024
10/14/2024
Firing teachers for being gay will remain legal in certain NSW schools after equality advocates relented in the face of a concerted campaign from …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 10/15/2024
Compensation for LGBT veterans who faced mistreatment in the military will begin in January, a defence minister has announced. The government will start a …
Added on: 10/14/2024
A decade ago, Russian publisher Leo Veles says, he could hang out in gay bars and clubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The scene …
Added on: 10/14/2024
VfL Wolfsburg, a soccer club in Germany’s Bundesliga, has disciplined player Kevin Behrens after he reportedly refused to autograph a gay pride shirt and making …