While the US celebrated Independence Day on July 4, queer activists in the Balkans celebrated an important victory. For the first time ever, rainbow flags flew in the main square of Zagreb to acknowledge the week of Pride celebrations and mark the occurrence of the biggest, boldest Zagreb Pride yet.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s Pride events in Zagreb attracted hundreds of people from all over the Balkans. Committed to the idea that visibility in public space is key to the empowerment of LGBTIQ individuals, the organizers pushed for, and successfully made, changes to integrate the event into the life of the city. Instead of being held in a park that was cordoned off from its surroundings, the parade wound through the city and ended at the city’s open central square where the general public could join in the festivities.

“We believe freedom of assembly to be our constitutional right, an integral aspect of a liberal democracy,” says the Organizing Committee of Zagreb Pride. This brave stance challenges the reality faced by many queer people in Eastern European countries where public gatherings of queer persons are either expressly forbidden by city and state authorities, or actively discouraged through harassment and violence.

All was not rosy though. Although the police were able to thwart attempts to attack marchers with Molotov cocktails, after the march, some of the organizers and participants were attacked. At least 8 arrests were made.

The organizers continue determined to fight for the rights of LGBTIQ people to live safely and with dignity. They know that their efforts over the last five years to build public awareness and relationships with municipal leadership have contributed to legislative changes that support equal rights of LGBTIQ persons.

In addition to supporting Zagreb Pride 2007, the Global Fund has a history of funding LGBTIQ groups in the region. Among the organizers for the event are five Global Fund grantees, which include Lesbian Organization Rijeka and Southeastern European Queer Network. Located in a coastal town Rijeka in Croatia, LORI promotes public awareness through campaigns like Love is Love, which featured commercials and brochures. LORI also provides a safe space and sense of community to lesbian and bi-sexual women in Rijeka by providing a library, meeting place, and ongoing community activities. Last year, the Global Fund supported the SEE-Q Network’s meeting between queer activists and donors to improve communication and understanding on the part of donors about the needs of queer communities. In the Balkans, SEE-Q advocates for systematic change in treatment of LGBTIQ people and promotes peace and tolerance for all people.