Connecting with the LGBTIQ community and supporting human rights.
You may be aware that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people in Albania face many forms of social exclusion, discrimination and violence. In fact, you may be an LGBTIQ person who has experienced some of these challenges firsthand.
Whilst there are a number of local NGOs set up to help members of the community, they do not tend to work together very often. The result is that many attempts at consolidating support result in fragmented approaches, when in actual fact the level of support could be much higher. In addition to this, most of the foreign population in Albania, including NGOs, agencies, and embassies are unequivocally LGBTIQ friendly and recognise their human rights. There is not however, a centralised place where these individuals can come together to understand how they can support the community or to gain information on events or issues that need their attention.
International Rainbow Allies Albanie as a dedicated activist movement, comprised of community members and organisations that together share the same views and desire to fight for LGBTIQ rights in the country.
Rainbow Allies is a network of international supporters of the LGBTIQ community in Albania. Anyone who cares about human rights for LGBTIQ people in Albania is welcome to join! You don’t need to be LGBTIQ to be part of the Rainbow Allies network. The more the merrier!
The Rainbow Allies Facebook page was set up by a couple of Australian women as a way for international visitors and residents in Albania to connect with like-minded people and support and add weight to the existing LGBTIQ movement: www.facebook.com/LGBTIQalbania.
You can then go to the ‘About’ section of the Facebook page to learn more – including ways to get involved. You might want to attend a fundraising gala, volunteer to teach English to young LGBTIQ people, or make a donation to one of the organisations providing essential services to the community without any government funding. There are many ways that you can lend your support and your voice. You can also join a closed discussion group under the ‘Community’ tab.
Whether you’re in Albania for a few days, a few months, or a few years, there are plenty of ways to improve the lives of LGBTIQ people in Albania. And heading over to the Facebook page and giving it a quick ‘like’ would be an excellent start!
Please note that any discriminatory, hateful, or homophobic comments left on my ‘The Balkanista” page will be deleted and those leaving them will be banned without hesitation- this is my platform and I will not tolerate hate speech. In addition to this, any threats made against myself, the community, or an individuals partaking in the network will result in public naming and shaming and a report made to the authorities. This a ZERO TOLERANCE ZONE for hatred.
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