Pride March Will ‘Empower Human Rights in Bosnia’

The pride march will be held under the motto "Ima izac'" meaning "There's someone to come out" - which is also a phrase once used on Bosnian buses, when passengers would tell the driver to stop so they could get off the bus.

"The Pride march will take place in the centre of the city, where all other protests are held. We submitted an application to the Interior Ministry and to the Transport Ministry in Sarajevo Canton on April 1, so there is a long way ahead to plan and define all the further activities," Culibrk said.

Although the human rights situation of LGBTIQ people generally in the region remains unsatisfactory, the community's position in Bosnia remains worse than in most other countries in the region. Similar Pride marches have been routine in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, for example, for some years.

"Croatia has gone the longest way in regulating some of the rights of LGBTIQ people, especially when talking about the right to life partners through its Law on Life Partnership, which practically has the same meaning as marriage, apart from the possibility of adopting children," Culibrk noted.

The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the larger of the two entities in Bosnia, adopted the request for the legalisation of same-sex marriages in October 2018.

But it is still on hold, due to the deadlock on forming new governments following elections held in the same month.

"We expect the new government to actively and responsibly organise the working group and drafting of this law, and we will ask to be part of the working group and participate in the creation of this legal solution," Culibrk told BIRN.

Ima izac, the motto of the Pride Parade. Photo courtesy of BH Povorka Ponosa

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