Annual awards for improving the position of the LGBT+ community in Serbia have been awarded to Dina Bajrektarević, the association Kolektiv Plus, and Jelena Jerinić
The Association Da se zna! celebrated its 10th anniversary and presented awards for outstanding contributions to improving the position of LGBT+ people in Serbia over the past 12 months. The awards were given in the categories: Queer Person of the Year, Queer Collective of the Year, and Ally of the Year.
The recipients of the annual awards of the Association Da se zna! for their special contribution to improving the position of LGBT+ people in our country are activist Dina Bajrektarević, the association Kolektiv Plus from Niš, and Member of Parliament of the Green-Left Front, Jelena Jerinić.
The award for Queer Person of the Year was given to Dina Bajrektarević, a brave and determined activist whom you will regularly see at every protest, in the front rows, with a megaphone and an endless amount of will, energy, and belief in a better world. She was among the first in the region to speak publicly about conversion practices, attempts to “cure” sexual orientation and gender identity, shared her personal experience with conversion therapy, and initiated the fight for its ban. She was especially visible at the March 8th protest, where she won the hearts of many, which also made her a target of attacks and misuse in tabloids that ran a days-long campaign against the participants and organizers of the March 8th march.
The award for Queer Collective of the Year was given to the association Kolektiv Plus from Niš, a group of courageous activists who are working to improve the position of queer people in this city and in southern Serbia, where discrimination and violence are still part of everyday life. Although Kolektiv Plus has formally existed for less than a year, they have already achieved very significant results and carried out a wide range of activities for the queer community in Niš. In a city where there has been little content for LGBT+ people, Kolektiv Plus is building a safe space for the community, providing support and education, and working toward a society free of discrimination, violence, and prejudice.
The award for Ally of the Year was given to Member of Parliament of the Green-Left Front, Jelena Jerinić, who over the past year twice requested that the National Assembly include the Draft Law on Same-Sex Unions in its agenda. The Assembly rejected both requests, but as she says, she does not plan to give up. For years, the Green-Left Front has submitted a proposal for a law on same-sex unions to the Serbian Parliament during Pride Week, but it has never been placed on the agenda. Our existence and the issue of our rights, as well as those of other marginalized groups, are constantly used for political calculations and as a means of gaining political points. Politicians who refuse to compromise when it comes to LGBT+ rights are extremely rare, which is why it is especially important for us to recognize those who are genuine allies.
In the coming year, the Association Da se zna! will continue its fight for the LGBT+ community, and we look forward to new allies with whom we will celebrate new successes in the years ahead.
