On Thursday the 17th of May, I along with several hundred other guests were privileged enough to be a part of the Streha “Love is All” Charity Gala. Held at The Plaza Hotel in Tirana, the event brought together Ambassadors, EU representatives, members of the State Police, musicians, artists, politicians, MPs, activists, and members of local and international communities for a night of celebration and fun.
In its 4th year, the event has gone from strength to strength with this years gala exceeding all fundraising expectations, hitting a high of almost $35,000. This money will be used to run Streha and to cover everything from administrative costs, to directly supporting the community and its members. It will be used to fun reintegration programmes, vocational training, life skills teaching, case management, and various other invaluable projects that the organisation is involved with. Each year, the amount of money raised for Streha has increased and this is testament to the change in attitude towards members of the LGBTI community. It is also representative of the increase in the number of people that believe in the amazing work that Streha do, as well as the recognition of the need to support equality and human rights for all.
A representative from Streha noted “Working with the LGBTI community in Albania and organizing high visibility events is extremely difficult, many important public figures, representatives of institutions, non-profit organizations etc. have difficulty expressing support for the community, often they do not want to be exposed. Getting financial support is an even harder process.”
Despite the stigma still surrounding the LGBTI community and the reluctance from many public figures to stand up and be counted, the guest list of the event was an interesting mix. Of course the American ambassador, Donald Lu was present along with Romana Vlahutin the head of the EU Delegation, the Dutch Ambassador Dewi Van der Weerd, the Ambassador of the UK Duncan Norman, and diplomatic representatives from the Austrian and Spanish Embassy, but there was also a refreshing number of people present from much closer to home.
Albanian MPs such as Vasilika Hysi, Elona Gjebrea, and Bledi Cuci were present as well as the Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastilliu, the Minister of Defense Olta Xhacka and the Minister of Justice Etilda Gjonaj. Whilst it was a shame that many male politicians were unable to attend, it was a pleasure to see every aspect of the political spectrum represented by courageous and forward-thinking women. I was most surprised to see Edlira Teferici present- a representative from the State Police who has been working tirelessly to educate and inform her colleagues on the rights and challenges that members of the community face.
Local NGOs such as The Tirana Legal Aid Society, MJAFT, and the Partners Albania for Change and development stood shoulder to shoulder with international names such as UN Women, Stonewall UK, Save the Children and even the UK Home Office- an important step towards improving the public perception of the cause.
Organiser and executive of Streha, Marsida Cela commented; “This Gala was the spirit of allies and supporters who not only play a positive role model for social acceptance of LGBTI community, but they are a real encouragement for an inclusive society.”
The event kicked off with a round of speeches and heartfelt thankyous to everyone involved in making the evening happen- from sponsors ABI Bank, Redcloud, and Inspiration Network UK, to businesses that provided prizes for the silent auction such as Nobis, Napoleon Wines, Estia, and Iceberg- donors covered every industry and walk of life to come together in support.
Following the emotional speeches came the awards that recognised outstanding individuals who have used their time, energy, and effort to promote equality in the face of criticism and even abuse. Award winners included The Municipality of Tirana (would have been nice if the Mayor could have shown up to accept the award though), Shpresa and Arjan Kodra the parents of local activist Arber Kodra, and journalist Manjola Hasa who steadfastly reported the truth in the face of adversity, about teaching awareness of other sexualities in schools.
Following a delicious four course meal, lots of wine, and much interesting conversation, the dance floor opened. Guests danced to a range of music provided by Bulza Entertainment and including Bojken Lako, Semi Jaupaj, DOBS, Paradoks and DJ Lura Elezi and Oda Haliti. Entertainment was also provided in the form of traditional Albanian dancers- I even got roped into giving the fancy footwork a go myself!
It would be impossible to list everyone involved or everyone that contributed to the success of the evening, but the sheer range of companies, businesses, authorities and political groups involved just goes to show that this issue is not going to be silenced or deterred. A battle is being fought- a battle for love, tolerance, acceptance, and freedom and with the support of such wonderful kind and motivated souls, I believe it is a battle that will be won.
I would like to extend my thanks and my love to all involved and particularly to those individuals who were not scared to stand up for what the believe in and who were not ashamed to support a cause such as this. In a country with such conservative ‘morality’ when it comes to sexuality, it takes some serious courage to stand up and be counted and to those people, I say “well done”. The event brought together such a wonderful mix of people and the atmosphere of that night is one that I will not forget.
So, have we started planning next years’ event yet?
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