Serbia’s Violent Homophobic Youngsters Are Victims as Well

Violence shapes our lives way before we gather the nerve to come out to our friends, colleagues, and finally our family. Even when we personally are not the direct target, it is still somehow directed at us. The possibility that our bodies are going to be those that are kicked and broken, and that those slurs will be shouted in our face, is very much real. We are an at-risk group. Our love is lawless, our fight is misrepresented on the pages of the tabloids. We are spat on, assaulted verbally, physically and sexually, punished only for daring to exist, for daring not to hide (or most commonly, not hiding well enough).

I mentioned and emphasized that the attackers in both of the incidents were minors for good reason. It allows me to also emphasize the biggest problem when it comes to violence targeted at any minority - education.

Our educational system has many flaws. The most horrifying thing in that is that it is the very system that shapes the minds of our youth. It molds us all, from a very young age, the way we think, act, the way we perceive ourselves, our surroundings and the world. It is supposed to give us facts and objective truth about not only equations and grammar and history, but also about the society that we live in and the problems we face.

The minors who attacked the Pride Info Center and gathered to protest against the non-existent Pride Parade never had any chance to form an authentic opinion regarding the LGBT+ community. What is the proper punishment for those were taught to hate? For those who never got any correct, scientifically confirmed information about LGBT+ people?

Police blocks off people protesting against the Pride parade during the Belgrade Pride Parade march in Belgrade, Serbia, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE...