Expressions of Queer Solidarity in the Balkans

Panel discussion
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Event will be held in English.

The LGBTIQ+ movements in the Balkans share common experiences of violence, marginalization and populist attacks. But we also developed numerous survival strategies, resilience and support measures for the LGBTIQ+ communities and for the activists in the forefront of the human rights battles. We will explore the ways of international solidarity within the LGBTIQ+ movements, regionally and wider. We will discuss the impact and relevance of strengthening the cooperation and solidarity within the region.

Guests:

• Dina Bajrektarević, executive director of  Tuzla Open Center and a member of the BH organizing committee for Pride March;
• Doria Jukić, activist, Croatia;
• Biljana Ginova, LGBTIQ+ human rights defender, North Macedonia;

Moderation: Mateja Morić, Ljubljana Pride Association.

Dina Bajrektarević is a long-time activist for the rights of LGBTI persons and the rights of persons with handicap. Currently engaged in the position of executive director of  Tuzla Open Center, a local LGBTI organization that provides a range of services to the LGBTI community, and a member of the BH organizing committee for Pride March. Through her previous engagement, Dina dealt with youth policies, anti-discriminatory policies and the protection of human rights through an intersectoral approach.

Doria Jukić is a social worker at Duga Zagreb, a safe house for children and adults facing domestic violence in Zagreb. In this role, Doria provides individual and group support for victims and survivors of domestic violence to regain their confidence and rejoin the labor market. Outside of this role of direct work, Doria has ample experience in leading lectures and workshops on the topic of gender-based violence and a sensitized approach towards LGBTIQ persons (from her experience working in the NGO Zagreb Pride) and has organized a range of large-scale events and social movements in her community.

Doria is a long-standing member of a forum theatre group and dealt with the topic of the intersection of social work and the concept of the theatre of the oppressed in her academic work. She is also a member of a drumming collective that gathers around queer-feminist anticapitalistic values. Through the collective, she empowers young women and queer persons for grassroot social actions and organising protests.

Biljana Ginova is an LGBTIQ+ human rights defender and trans-feminist activist. For the past twenty years, they have worked in the civil society sector advancing the rights of different historically marginalized groups, including sexual and gender minorities, Roma, refugees and migrants, and survivors of human trafficking. They are an Independent Consultant with expertise in strategic advocacy within human rights and development frameworks for LGBTIQ+. They hold an MA in (queer) international relations from the University of Sussex, UK.