Zagreb Pride, Croatia, joins the IDAHOT 2014.

Zagreb Pride and Le Zbor have announced a series of events to commemorate the IDAHOT 2014, including a focus on LGBT Refugees, Asylum & Migration, and on the rise of neoconservative movements in Europe and a joint celebration of the historical victory against fascism in WW2 and IDAHOT.

Photo: Found on www.ivanklindic.info
Events on LGBT Refugees, Asylum and Migration
Organisers will address the topic of LGBT Refugees, Asylum & Migration, with an evening of events planned around the topic of LGBT Asylum and the current situation of (LGBT) asylum in Croatia. This will be organised in collaboration with other civil society organisations that also work with asylum seekers and refugees.
As an introduction to IDAHO, on Tuesday the 13th there will be a panel called “Immigration. Equality. Views from the LGBTIQ community”, where they will address the topic of LGBT migration and asylum seekers.
On saturday, the 17th there will be a public event with the main goal of raising (positive) awareness of the upcoming Life partnership act (civil unions for homosexual couples), while in the evening there will be a free showing of Stephen Fry’s documentary “Out there”, and later on there will be a stand up act called “Laugh out proud” with performances by LGBT comedians from UK and Croatia. This event is presented by the Lesbian Organisation Rijeka LORI. LORI has started the tradition of marking IDAHOT in Rijeka last year, with various activities. The aim of event is to fight homophobia and transphobia with the strongest possible weapon – humor, and the goal of the project is to educate people about the LGBT community through laughter and in good atmosphere.
Performers are well-known LGBT comedians: Scott Capurro (UK), Lara King (UK) and Marina Orsag (CRO).
The entire project ‘LAUGH OUT PROUD’ is funded by Horyou, the Action Oriented Social Network for the Social Good, organized by Studio Smijeha association, Centre for Civil Initiatives Porec, Croatia and Standup.rs association. Shows will take place in Belgrade (Serbia), Porec, Rijeka and Zagreb (Croatia).
The main goal is to raise awareness amongst the LGBT community that ‘LGBT asylum is something that happens in Croatia too, not just in the other EU countries.’
Conference on neoconservative movements in Europe
The other activity is a conference about the neoconservative movement throughout Europe – activists from some other EU countries that have similar “civil” activities that are pushing the conservative agenda through LGBT topics, will be invited to discuss the issue, and establish a network/coalition that will collaborate in the future.
A joint celebration of the historical victory against fascism in WW2 and the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia
On 17 May, Le Zbor is traditionally celebrating the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) and as always, on this day they are not only singing for the rights of LGBTIQ people, but also sending a message of solidarity to all groups fighting for human rights and equality of us all.

This year we are giving a performance at the 70th anniversary of a major anti-fascist event in Croatia: the breakthrough of the fascist army lines that took place on the site called Petrova gora and during which 730 partisans and 12 000 civilians, mostly women and children, were finally liberated from atrocities committed by fascist forces in this area during WW2.

The organizers of the event (well-known institutions in Croatia such as the Serbian National Council, the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters in Croatia as well as local municipalities), have this year decided to jointly commemorate this great anti-fascist victory and the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. With this act they stand for a clear message that the struggle against homophobia is also the struggle against fascism and that anti-fascism does not only belong to the culture of remembrance, but is also a vital part of current struggles for better future, not only in Croatia, but also all over Europe.

In times of current economic and social crisis that sows poverty and at the same time generates attacks not only on LGBTQ people, but also immigrants, national minorites, workers etc., we find it more important than ever to remember our antifascist legacy and use it to unite our seemingly separate struggles in one common goal: defending human rights and demanding equality for all. As an activist choir, we call upon mutual cooperation and solidarity of all groups fighting for the equality of us all.

Le Zbor is a Lesbian Feminist Choir from Zagreb. You can find out more about them and their work on Facebook or on and their website.