October 26, 2018 | Friday
Leading up to the Pride Parade which happens in October in Pristina, capital of Kosovo, this time EU Information and Cultural Centre took the lead to open doors and make this event even richer by extending it to a Week of Pride. The EUICC in collaboration with Pristina International Film Festival and CEL Kosovo organized three nights of film screenings for the LGBTI community and general audience.
The week started on 5 October with a feature film “Women who kill” directed by Ingrid Jungermann. The plot revolves around commitment-phobic Morgan and her ex-girlfriend Jean, locally famous true crime podcasters, both suspecting that Morgan’s new love interest is a murderer.
On the 8 October “Political animals”, a powerful documentary about four lawmakers, all women, who took the fight for equality from the streets into the halls of government to create lasting social justice and equality. A night after, EUICC screened “Man Made” – a documentary exploring the world of transgender bodybuilding, tracking the path of four hopefuls as they prepare for the Trans FitCon competition in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
On 10 October, the second LGBT Pride Parade happened in the main streets of Pristina.
Hundreds of people marched from Skenderbeu Square towards Mother Theresa Boulevard, reaching the end of the Pride march in front of Zahir Pajaziti statue.
The slogan “In the Name of Freedom” (Në Emër të Lirisë) brought people in the street to once again point the existence of this community in Kosovo and the quest to be heard, not discriminated and accepted in the society.
The Head of EU Office in Kosovo/ EU Special Representative Nataliya Apostolova marched together with the participants of the pride while the EU in Kosovo encourages all the unique people to stand up for the European values, assert their rights and support each other in their fight for equality.
Different Ambassadors of EU Member States in Kosovo and other public figures were also present to support the community.
LGBT community in Kosovo is still discriminated and a considerable amount of hate is always pointed towards them.
The staff of the European Union Information and Culture Centre in Pristina also participated in the Pride Parade, showing their support towards a community that needs more acknowledgment and acceptance in the general public.
