For My Bosnian/Brooklyn lady, Senka

Discrimination in Bosnia
On September 24-28, 2008, the first Queer Sarajevo Festival (QSF) will take place in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and it is being sponsored by Udruzenje Q, the only organization in Bosnia-Herzegovina addressing the issues of discrimination and inequality of LGBTIQ persons. QSF is a Festival of art and culture which will include exhibitions, performances, public discussions and films aimed to raise awareness, and promote equality and human rights.

However, recently the language of hate and violence has publicly surfaced throughout Bosnia in response to a public campaign to promote QSF. The criticism has been initiated by the Muslim magazine Saff (due to the fact that the Festival will take place during the month of Ramadan - an unintentional overlap), but the Festival has also been condemned by both the Catholic and Christian Orthodox Churches. This reaction has encouraged a slew of threats against the organizers and potential attendees over various media outlets, Internet forums, etc. On the morning of September 4, 2008, the residents of Sarajevo woke up to a city littered by posters saying “Kill All Fags!” In addition, other immediate consequences followed such as the eviction of Udruzenje Q from their offices due to the landlord's fear of violence aimed at the organization, and indirectly at him and his other tenants.

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, individuals, etc... We also encourage you to spread the word because these issues are relevant to the global LGBT community and the human rights movement.

For more information about Organization Q, please visit http://www.queer.ba/udruzenjeq/en/udruzenje.htm , and http://www.queer.ba/qsf-en.htm to learn more about the Festival. To read a short article about the recent furor, go to http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24260158-912,00.html?from=public_rss
If you wish to lend support, or if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Senka at senka@queer.ba
Thank you!