Skopje’s First Pride Should be ‘In Your Face’

It is a sunny morning in June. The city centre of Skopje is closed for traffic - it's party time. Mobile sound systems are ready to go, tens of thousands of people are gathering - a joyful, colourful crowd. Banners, flags, decorations, costumes, all ready to give the city a blast in the name of the highest value - freedom.

It is Skopje's first Pride parade on June 29. Yes, you read it right, the first. The party crowd is there, from show business to club kids; the odd politician and business types mix with bikers, dreadlocks wearers, the techno crowd and the queens of the parade, wearing stunning, shiny and daring costumes: leather and lace, Moulin Rouge meets folklore chique, feather boas and trucker shirts, chitons and latex.

Suddenly, there is a commotion with the security people, a combined crew of NGO activists, police and members of the two largest football fan clubs: the President, the Prime Minister, the speaker of parliament, party leaders and religious leaders are mingling discreetly with the crowd; no VIP block. Today, they all are one.

At the end of the day, the media report in unison: "What a party!"

Would be nice, wouldn't it? But, of course, this remains wishful thinking. It is 2019, and the people in North Macedonia still need convincing that a Pride parade is not harmful to their children but actually good for everybody.

"I'm not homophobic, I have gay friends. But this is not OK", "I don't care what they do at home, but please, not in public, in front of children". This is the fake liberal discourse I have been hearing a lot these days.

Just replace "homophobic" with "misogynist", "racist", "anti-Semite", etc, and "gay" with "women", "blacks", "Jews", "refugees" or "migrants", and you have the full spectrum of...

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