On the Other Side of an Ethnocratic State? lgbt Activism in Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina
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This paper discusses the developmental dynamics of Bosnian and Herzegovinian (BiH) lgbt (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) activism in the context of the European integration (Europeanization) process. Although the official politics of BiH authorities aspires towards the European Union (eu), the country’s political deadlock and the steady position of the potential eu candidate, have created conditions in which activism operates with declarative and financial support from European organizations while having very limited impact on policies and local institutions. In this set-up, lgbt activism and non-heterosexual sexualities are placed between the specific local context of an ethnocratic state and the Western European narratives of lgbt rights and freedoms. I draw upon a range of primary sources, including the material obtained through a series of semi-structured interviews with activists, to argue that, for the time being, the lgbt movement in BiH lacks either governmental, political or societal support. However, marginal sites of non-heteronormative resistance could potentially appear as a departure point for creating an intersectionality-sensitive political platform from which to struggle for a general civic and political equality and institutional accountability.
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3
On 3 September 2015, the first meeting of a working group, presided by the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, for drafting the proposal of changes and amendments to the BiH Law on Prohibition of Discrimination was held. As reported by Sarajevo Open Centre, one of the organizations that participates in this process, the Anti-discrimination Law should be considerably amended in order to remove all impediments for effective law preparation and to be aligned with the eu acquis. Regarding the protection of lgbt persons, the proposed changes include the adoption of "sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as the basis on which discrimination is prohibited, since currently used terms ‘sexual expression or orientation’ are not terminologically correct and are not used in comparative legal praxis" (Sarajevo Open Centre 2015: 5). In late December 2015, the Council of Ministers adopted the Law on Changes and Amendments to the Anti-Discrimination Law and sent it to the parliamentary procedure.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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On the Other Side of an Ethnocratic State? lgbt Activism in Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina
In: Southeastern EuropeSearch for other papers by Adelita Selmić in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
This paper discusses the developmental dynamics of Bosnian and Herzegovinian (BiH) lgbt (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) activism in the context of the European integration (Europeanization) process. Although the official politics of BiH authorities aspires towards the European Union (eu), the country’s political deadlock and the steady position of the potential eu candidate, have created conditions in which activism operates with declarative and financial support from European organizations while having very limited impact on policies and local institutions. In this set-up, lgbt activism and non-heterosexual sexualities are placed between the specific local context of an ethnocratic state and the Western European narratives of lgbt rights and freedoms. I draw upon a range of primary sources, including the material obtained through a series of semi-structured interviews with activists, to argue that, for the time being, the lgbt movement in BiH lacks either governmental, political or societal support. However, marginal sites of non-heteronormative resistance could potentially appear as a departure point for creating an intersectionality-sensitive political platform from which to struggle for a general civic and political equality and institutional accountability.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 615 | 95 | 2 |
| Full Text Views | 273 | 7 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 130 | 16 | 4 |
