Gay group in sarajevo, bosnia & herzegovina

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Bosnia's embattled LGBTQ community will defy threats of violence to hold the Balkan country's first ever pride parade this weekend and appeal for tolerance and unity in a society torn by war-era divisions and gripped by poverty. The event, dubbed 'Ima Izac! Sarajevo is the last of the Balkan capitals to schedule a pride march after neighboring countries moved to improve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights as part of an effort to modernize and become members of the European Union. Even so, the backlash against the parade has been considerable in this deeply conservative nation, which has entrenched ethnic divisions and nationalist sentiments that fueled the conflict and are still holding Bosnia back.

The LGBT community in Bosnia and Herzegovina suffers from a repressive atmosphere in society and misconceptions about homosexuality, which are a breeding ground for hate, homophobia and discrimination. To improve this, Sarajevski Otvoreni Centar Sarajevo Open Centre developed an e-book featuring 15 interviews with gay and bisexual men in different towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The book tells the reader about their lives, past and present, and also shares their coming out stories. The whole text, written in Bosnian, can be found, read and downloaded here.

You can, however, expect to find gay-friendly venues in Sarajevo as well as a big gay community. Despite its conservative vibe, Sarajevo remains a wonderful city that offers the perfect mix of diverse cultural references, jaw-dropping natural landscapes, and amazing food. Sarajevo is very much geared towards tourism. There are many historic buildings to explore.

Foreword: Bosnia and Herzegovina BiH is divided into three federal units: two entities — the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina FBiH and Republika Srpska RS — and one district: District Brčko. FBiH is further divided into 10 cantons. Legislative authority for FBiH and RS reside in their respective law-making bodies. District Brčko is a special administrative unit within BiH.