Project: How does Security Sector Reform Affect Human Security in Serbia? Reassessing the impact on LGBT17May2016
International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia Marked Today
International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, IDAHO is observed on May 17 worldwide. This date was chosen as a commemoration of the World Health Organisation's decision to remove homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases. IDAHO aims at raising awarness about violence against the LGBT people. According to results of the large-scale research conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 47% of 93,000 LGBT respondents across the EU experienced a form of violence due to their different sexual orientation.
IDAHO was marked in Serbia as well. The Rainbow (Duga) Awards Ceremony, hosted in the Assembly of the City of Belgrade, honoured a national liaison officer for the LGBT community, Aleksandar Stojmenovic. Since 2014, he has dedicately worked with local liaison officers on solving cases of violence against LGBT people. While receiving the award, Stojmenovic stressed out how much has been done on imrpoving police ethics towards the LGBT, as well as on strenghtening communication and cooperation between the LGBT community and the police. Also, he added that a handbook for police work with the LGBT people was issued and that there was substantial cooperation with the organizers of the Pride Parade and Transparade. The Rainbow Award has been established in 2013 and previous winners are: the Department for Organization, Prevention and Community Policing of the Serbian Interior Ministry, Tanja Miscevic and Jadranka Joksimovic. Representatives of international organizations, governmental independent bodies, and non-governmental organizations attended this year's awards ceremony. On this occasion a music video on the fight against homophobia and transphobia produced by the United Nations was shown for the frist time in Serbia (UN Free and Equal: Why we fight?).
Additionally. the queer picnic took place at the Students' square (Studentski trg) and at premisis of Labris. Moreover, LGBTI Caravan started and it will visit ten cities across Serbia in the next three weeks. It will organize discussions about threats and violence which the LGBT community experiences in Serbia nowadays.