The Pride March in Bosnia will take place in Sarajevo on August 14th this year under the slogan “Resistance from the Margin,” organisers said on Monday.

“We, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans, intersex and queer people, take to the streets because the pandemic restrictions are our everyday realities,” they said in a statement, explaining that “the BiH Pride March is a necessary political protest and an act of resistance.”

“In this way, we point out all the institutional, legal and socio-economic barriers that LGBTIQ+ people face continuously and on a daily basis,” they said.

The rights and freedoms of LGBTIQ+ people have “further deteriorated” and they have been “pushed to the margins” throughout the past year, they said, also pointing out that this was a time when domestic violence was on the rise.

“The pandemic may have silenced the voices of our community, but our smiles and lives did not cease to exist. This year, loudly and proudly, we are sending a clear message from the streets that we still exist, and that we, with our colors, resist the constant exposure to fear, violence, discrimination, violations of our basic human rights and unequal treatment.”

According to the organisers, LGBTIQ+ people face many obstacles and problems in Bosnia.

“The problems we have have not changed in the last year – we still face homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and interphobia when going to public institutions, cafes, restaurants, theatres, cinemas or any other public place. Institutional discrimination is still present, and the most obvious example is the lack of legal recognition via a law regulating same-sex partnerships, and the unequal treatment of our protest march compared to other protests,” they said.

“We are still forced to pay for space and security if we want to have a safe place where we can live authentically. Therefore, we emphasize that every space must be equally accessible, safe and free, and that unrealistic and unequal measures of additional security must not be required from the organizers of LGBTIQ events. Any demand for additional charges means preventing our existence in these areas and on these streets. Our goal is to fight for a public space where everyone will feel safe without having to have security guards around them,” they added.

The organisers also noted that life during the pandemic has “brought the fragility of our freedoms and lack of support systems in the spotlight” and that “misunderstanding and difficult communication with members of our families about our identities increased the pressure, violence and led to serious psychological consequences for LGBTIQ + people.”

“That is why this year we are emphasizing the margin even more and showing resistance from it. Join us on August 14, 2021 on the streets of Sarajevo,” the statement said, adding that the march will be organised in accordance with the epidemiological measures in force.

“Together with you, we will send the message that love is always above hatred. Let’s be the resistance from the margin together!” the statement concluded.