Sarajevo pride parade organisers: This is not carnival but expression of pride

Bh. povorka ponosa

Activists organising the first Bosnian pride parade, set to take place later this year in the Bosnian capital, dismissed what they said were prejudices about this event as some sort of a carnival.

“We live in an era when visual information travels much faster than written text. Besides, 80 percent of our perception is shaped by what is visually available to us. It is clear that the image of pride parades in the region and the world spread by media greatly affects the creation of stereotypes about LGBTIQ community and the way this community is treated,” said the organisers, pointing out that the main prejudice towards the pride parades is that these are some sorts of carnivals.

Pride parade, they said, is a protest aimed at recognition of the rights of LGBTI community in Bosnia.

“Pride parade is an expression of spite and pride, an expression of the need to be visible but also a request for equality with other fellow citizens,” they said.

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In the next following months, the activists will use social networks to publish photos from various pride parades held in the region and the world, to share “a real image” of the protest walk called pride parade.

“Hereby we call on all LGBTI persons and broader community who took part in pride parades in the world to send us their photos to include them in the campaign.”

The first-ever pride parade was announced in early April this year. The activists gathered in an organising committee said they hoped to get the support of institutions and citizens in their efforts to make this event happen in Sarajevo for the first time.

Bh. povorka ponosa