LGBT FLAG RAISED IN TIRANA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY!

Tirana 17 May 2016 – PINK Embassy in Albania raised the LGBT flag this morning in the historic center of the capital city, Tirana, to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. This is the first time ever that an LGBT flag has been raised in Albania in an open public space, thanks to the extraordinary support of the Municipality of Tirana.

“We asked the Municipality of Tirana to become part of the Festival of Diversity that we organize every year on IDAHOT week and possibly raise the LGBT flag inside Municipality offices. Few days later we got a call from them asking if we had a 10 m long flag that they could use to put it at the National Palace of Culture and Opera House of Albania! We were left speechless!” –said Altin Hazizaj, Director of Human Rights House and an LGBT activist with PINK Embassy.

The flag that was used is the same as the Tirana PRIDE one. It is a very important flag as it is used every year by PINK Embassy to march at the Pride and beyond that it has been prepared by a Muslim family who use their workshop to prepare large flags or other materials for public shows.

In the afternoon a modest ceremony took place, to welcome the raise of the flag by PINK Embassy and the Municipality. LGBT community, public officials, friends and civil society organisations joined together in a photo-op and give few media interviews and comments. So far there have been no incidents apart from the strong wind today in Tirana that has caused few damages to this historic flag.

Albania has moved towards a wider acceptance of LGBT rights, but yet many LGBT people face violence in their families and communities where they live. Actions such as this one today only can facilitate a national dialogue on where the country is when it comes to LGBT rights and how the situation can be improved.