PINK Embassy / LGBT Pro officially announced today its campaign under the moto “I Am Going to the Pride, How about You?” to mobilize national and international organizations, institutions and activists to join the 3rd Tirana Pride on the 25th of September 2016.
Tirana Pride 2016 will be a day of solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people who because of the historical discrimination encounter many difficulties in their lives. While in the last several years our country has made great legal and social progress towards the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity, the low visibility of LGBT people remains an obstacle to their acceptance in Albanian society.
Meanwhile, on May 17th, the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia different awareness events will take place such as the exhibitions, open debates, open lectures, seminars, hearing sessions, etc. On the 17th of May 2015, the Albanian Parliament approved the Resolution “On Protection of Rights and Freedoms of persons belonging to the LGBT community in Albania”, which was adopted with 75 votes in favour and only 2 against.
The approval of this resolution is a tremendous victory for the LGBT community since the adoption of the Law on Protection from
Discrimination, in early 2010, as the Parliament had not passed many legislative or political initiatives in support of human rights of every LGBT individual in Albania.
The Pride March is not only a matter of pride. It has to do with the right to live freely, to conquer the feelings of shame and guilt and the wrong perception that by being LGBT we are not worthy of our families, society and life.
