Press Release - Say Yes To Love

Week of Diversity 12-17 May 2014 - Tirana Pride 17 May 2014

PINK Embassy, Human Rights House of Albania and Open Mind Spectrum Albania open today the 3rd  Festival of Diversity in Albania, inviting all public institutions, media, human rights organizations and people of all orientations, opinions and convictions to join the activities which will take place this week as well as the Pride March on May 17th.

The main message of this Festival is “Say yes to love”. Love is in fact the main drive of human life, existence and activity and in this simple terminology we found inspiration for everything that will take place this week and the accompanying materials.

First of all we want to present to you the video “Say yes to love”. The resource materials for this video were messages of hate from individuals and groups who have chosen this as a way to oppose the protection and advancement of LGBT rights.

Free speech makes one of the foundations of a democratic country, however it should not be used in ways that insult, denigrate and offend people or even worse promote violence or other criminal acts. If the debate for the rights of LGBT people is done by using such forms of speech it shows that it is a lost debate and that the arguments against LGBT rights are few and un-reliable.

We want to use this week to put attention on some of the main issues related to LGBT people and their rights. During movie day we will get to know the paths of LGBT people from different parts of the world. While feelings and the love expressed is similar, what changes is the way society interacts with this community. The more constructive the approach is towards the debate the bigger the wellbeing and accompanying debate.

Further, during this week, we will have the pleasure to open the exhibition “Taste of Freedom”, which explores free speech, through democratic means.

The road to protection and full guarantee of LGBT rights is still long. Today, at the opening of the Week of Diversity, we invite the Albanian public, in the framework of tolerance, understanding and citizenry to take advantage of this week to further explore and understand the needs and concerns of LGBT people.

To understand the needs of an individual or community, we need to see through their eyes and feelings what is right and what is wrong in our society. Such a society is one that fights and despises oppression and protects all of its citizens.

PINK Embassy, Human Rights House of Albania and Open Mind Spectrum want to thank especially the Delegation of the European Union in Albania for supporting the Festival of Diversity.

Also we want to thank all institutions, human rights organizations, national and international organizations, businesses and companies, groups and individuals, the academia, journalists, the LGBT community in the country and everyone else for supporting our activities and giving life to this week.

In conclusion we invite you to follow and support the First Pride March in Albania, on May 17th.

Thank you