Belgrade Gay Pride Off, But Sweden Hosts ‘Mini-Pride’ at Ambassador’s Residence

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Belgrade Gay Pride Off, But Sweden Hosts ‘Mini-Pride’ at Ambassador’s Residence

Dozen turn up for counter demo “in honour” of Pride cancellation

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■ Krister Bringeus, the Swedish Ambassador in Belgrade, hosted a ‘Mini-Pride’ at his residence, proudly wearing a Belgrade Pride t-shirt.
photo: UK Gay News

By Andy Harley in Belgrade

There was not a gay person, let alone a banner, in sight in the square in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade city centre at lunchtime on Sunday. The Gay Pride Parade had been banned by officialdom, or cancelled by the organisers, depending on which ‘spin’ one subscribes to.

But the cops were there in force – and so were an assorted crowd of thugs egged-on by ultra-right wing factions, like Movement 1389, who had decided to stage a parade of their own in “honour of the cancellation of the Pride Parade”

When the police got wind of this demonstration, they quickly issued an edict: all public gatherings in Belgrade city centre are prohibited for security reasons.

Only a dozen nationalists turned up to “celebrate” – and they were heavily outnumbered by the riot police there to greet them.

Meanwhile gay men and women were making their way to suburban Belgrade for a private event that they were soon calling a “mini Pride”.

There were just six police visible outside the residence of the Swedish Ambassador who hosted the event for not only Serbian gays, but those from other countries. Some 50 attended the reception.

“Pride is all about the message of tolerance,” Ambassador Krister Bringeus said. “I am very sorry that Pride didn’t take place.

“But welcome to this small Pride event,” he added to the delight of those present.

Flags and banners that were due to have been displayed at Pride were unfurled and photographed (the only safe photo opportunity of the weekend), and Belgrade Pride 2009 t-shirts were given out. “A collector’s item,” one woman from Austria said.

‘Mini-Pride’ Photos

SEE ALSO

Gay American Avoids Belgrade Thugs in City Street. The chairperson of InterPride’s committee on International LGBTI Human and Civil Rights spoke today of how he was followed on the streets of central Belgrade yesterday evening and how it brought home to him just how Serbian society had to live “in a constant state of fear of thugs”. Openly gay William Urich, who was attending Belgrade Pride as an official “observer” for InterPride, told UK Gay News that he decided to go out and explore the downtown area around 6pm. (UK Gay News, September 21, 2009)

Belgrade Gay Pride Cancelled 24 Hours Before Event Because of “Security Concerns”. Nikolai Baev, a co-organiser of Moscow Pride, arrived in Belgrade at lunchtime looking forward to taking part in his very first Pride march. But when he got to his hotel his excitement turned to sorrow when he learned that tomorrow’s Belgrade Pride march had been suddenly cancelled by the organisers when the Serbian Government announced this morning that the parade in the city centre could not go ahead but offered an alternative location in the suburbs. (UK Gay News, September 19, 2009)

European Union Presidency Expresses Support for Belgrade Gay Pride. Sweden, which currently holds the presidency of the European Union, has today expressed its support for Belgrade’s Gay Pride, due to be held on Sunday (September 20). (UK Gay News, September 17, 2009)

Serbian Football Authorities Have Change of Heart on Anti-Gay Graffiti in Belgrade. The football ‘fans’ whose signatures appeared on gay-hate graffiti in the city over the past two weeks have now been condemned by the two clubs concerned, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan. (UK Gay News, August 12, 2009)

Outraged Gay Community in Belgrade Demand FIFA Action Over Hate Graffiti. Football fans’ graffiti calls for murder of gays. The failure of the Football Association of Serbia and two clubs in Belgrade to distance themselves from homophobic messages and calls to murder gay persons which appear in graffiti across the city, bearing the ‘signature’ of fans from the Partizan and Red Star Belgrade has so outraged gays that they have written to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body for football, demanding action. (UK Gay News, August 10, 2009)

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Posted: 21 Sep 2009 at 02:00 (UK time)