Diversity Festival: a week of awareness for LGBT rights

On 12-17 May, for the fourth consecutive year, the “Festival of Diversity” will take place in a week full of awareness activities which will culminate with the Pride March on May 17^th in downtown Tirana.

PINK Embassy / LGBT Pro Albania in collaboration with the Human Rights House in Albania, Open Mind Spectrum Albania, Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, People’s Advocate and tens of organizations and institutions will introduce a series of cultural and social activities throughout the Diversity Week.

The week will kick start with the Opening Conference on May 12^th where the video-campaign “Say Yes to love” will be presented. It will also be broadcast on Albania’s main TV channels throughout the whole week. The main theme of the video, which has been supported by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, is “Freedom of Expression” and the fight against hate speech which is a major problem in Albanian society and globally. Freedom of Expression is also the main theme of this year from the IDAHOT Committee. Next will be two awareness exhibitions, respectively at the EU Info Centre in Tirana, with freedom of expression as main theme, and at the Culture Palace in Durres, with the “City of Colours” exhibition with pictures taken by members of the LGBT community. Movie day will take place in cooperation with the Marubi Film Academy where main LGBT themed movies will be screened from the UK, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands etc. Part of the Festival will also be a working conference with the participation of main institutions and human rights organizations in the country. The conference will be organized in the form of workshops and some of its topics will be hate speech, heteronormativity, homonationalism, LGBT people in the work place etc.

On May 17^th, as every other year, PINK, in collaboration with all its partners and supporters will organize the “Diversity Fair” at the “Frasheri Square” where human rights organize can expose their work and activities. Meanwhile, this years, for the first time on May 17^th at 12:00 LGBT activists and their supporters will march in downtown Tirana to ask for the protection and advancement of LGBT rights.

The Diversity Festival takes place every May 17^th to celebrate the decision of the American Psychology Association to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders back in 1995. Since 2004 this day is recognized as International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. The

“Diversity Week” is supported by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in these events do not necessarily represent the views of the European Union.

Diversity Week is organized in collaboration with: People’s Advocate, Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, Human Rights House in Albania, Open Mind Spectrum Albania, Tirana Municipality, Durrës Municipality.

For more information on the activities please write to us on the following address: communitypink@gmail.com