First Bosnian LGBT Pride March Faces Security Problems

In the run-up to the first Bosnian Pride event on September 8, the local cantonal government demanded that the organisers fund additional security measures, including purchasing and placing concrete barriers along the march’s route. {note: the explanation for this can be seen in the original article}

The organisers are remaining silent, although activists are voicing concerns over what they feel are legally questionable requests.

The dispute became public after Narod i Pravda, one of the parties in the coalition government of the Sarajevo Canton, called for the Pride march to be cancelled due to security concerns.

Although the current prime minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Edin Forto, responded in support of the Pride march, the incident added fuel to the already heated public debate about whether the march should take place.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is the last country in the former Yugoslav region to hold a public Pride event.

However, the country has a history of violence targeting LGBT-themed festivals, most notably in 2008 and 2014, and its organising committee has been under significant pressure from politicians and the public since it announced its plans in April.

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‘Fundamental tradition and family first’

In the meantime, not one but two counter-protests have been announced on September 9. Sanin Musa, a theologian and professor, called on Wednesday for people to join his peaceful protest in the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Ciglane at the same time as the Pride march.

Musa cited his disagreement with public displays of sexual orientation, claiming that it goes against the “fundamental tradition of a relationship between a man and a woman”.

However he also veered into homophobia, questioning whether “paedophiles, zoophiles and necrophiles” should also be allowed to protest.

Musa, however, insisted his counter-protest will be peaceful and inclusive, and invited people of all religions to attend.

Another counter-protest, this one announced by a Sarajevo-based NGO called Svjetlo, is also motivated by what the organisers see as an attack on family values.

Although it is still unclear whether this will be a separate counter-protest or if it might merge with Musa’s event, Svjetlo argued that the Pride march is unnecessary and shouldn’t be “questioning the tolerance of the citizens of Sarajevo”.

The counter-protests could also serve as yet another argument for the Pride march’s cancellation, [argued international human rights lawyer from Sarajevo, Gorana Mlinarevic], while the additional security demands could have any impact on future civic events and public assemblies.

“It shows that the current government of the Sarajevo Canton is not as democratic and respectful of human rights and freedoms as they would like to present themselves,” she said.