We are LGBTI-identifying people, activists, supporters, advocates, and families who are striving for the respect and protection of our rights, which are equal to those of everyone else. We are fighting for equality, freedom, non-discrimination, safety and security, and the free expression of our identities.
As it stands currently, negative attitudes and perceptions towards the LGBTI community by the majority of the citizens of North Macedonia continue to be a critical issue. A great deal of these negative attitudes and perceptions are based upon the stereotypes and prejudices the general population has toward the lesbian, gay men, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people in the country. These stereotypes and prejudices are a result of the dominantly homophobic, transphobic and heterosexist rhetoric, content and practices in society, in particular in education, media, healthcare, and in the political space.
However, for the first time in a long time, North Macedonia is enjoying a more favorable political climate, which has and continues to allow the LGBTI community an opportunity to be more active in the promotion and advocacy of their equal rights. As such, we are organizing the Skopje Pride Parade, which will take place on June 29, 2019.
The first of its kind in North Macedonia, the Skopje Pride Parade would place Skopje on the world map of pride events and would positively contribute to the city’s image of freedom, openness, and solidarity. This would not only increase visibility of the needs and the issues of LGBTI people in North Macedonia, but it would also cast LGBTI people as equal members of society, promoting increased awareness, understanding, and acceptance of LGBTI people. Most importantly, the first Skopje Pride Parade is a community event at which all communities living in Skopje, not just the LGBTI community, can protest against violence, discrimination, and hate speech in a way that celebrates our identities.
The funds accrued from this campaign will be used for the promotion of the first Skopje Pride Parade. They will also aid in ensuring that all members of the LGBTI community, as well as our allies, will be able to participate.
Every donation, no matter how small or how large, will help us achieve our goal of making the first ever Skopje Pride Parade a success. The success of the Skopje Pride Parade will therefore set a precedent to continue this community-based and community-led event in the future, thereby aiding in the mainstreaming of the LGBTI community in North Macedonia.
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DETAILS ABOUT SKOPJE PRIDE PARADE 2019
Mission:
We are LGBTI-identifying people, activists, supporters, advocates, and families who are striving for the respect and protection of our rights, which are equal to those of everyone else. We are fighting for equality, freedom, non-discrimination, safety and security, and the free expression of our identities.
Vision:
Our vision is a society without discrimination, without violence, and without hatred towards LGBTI people, where the acceptance and promotion of sexual and gender diversity exists, especially with regards to the integration of LGBTI people in all social spheres.
Goals:
– To show the public that the Skopje Pride Parade is a protest for the protection, affirmation, and realization of the basic human rights of LGBTI people and their access to justice
– To provide a safe and secure environment for all members of the LGBTI community
– To show that the Skopje Pride Parade is a consecutive and inevitable response to the threat and disrespect of our human rights
– To show the public a wide variety of ways of expressing individuality
– To contribute to the creation and maintenance of a more democratic and humane society