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Meet a Grantee

Udruzenje Q/Organization Q, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Fighting for LGBTIQ Human Rights and Visibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Udruzenje Q/Organization Q (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Bosnia-Herzegovina’s first LGBTIQ group, has made significant strides for LGBTIQ people with its HIV/AIDS photo exhibit, human rights work and studies documenting marginalization of intersex and queer students. “When we first opened our office,” said Executive Director Svetlana Durkovic, “people would come and say, ‘This is the first time I’ve felt such freedom. This is the first time I feel like myself’.” To expand this safe space, Organization Q spent a year organizing the country’s first Queer Sarajevo Festival. Upon learning that the festival coincided with a religious holiday, fundamentalist leaders claimed it was a direct provocation promoting “sick and deviant behavior.” Organization Q was evicted from its office and received terrifying death threats. At the opening ceremony, perpetrators entered the grounds inflicting violence. Chaos ensued and the space was closed. Determined to persevere, Organization Q transformed the programming into a yearlong festival. The documentation project and seminars continue, and it has secured a new office. There is too much at stake to stop now.

www.queer.ba/udruzenjeq/en/udruzenje.htm

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