By Alice Elizabeth Taylor
As you read this news story, a little bit of civil history is taking place. At the Palace of Congress in Tirana, a forum is being held that brings together leading voices in the LGBTI community, as well as the US ambassador, EU representatives, and politicians from leading Albanian political parties. Entitled “LGBTI in the Political Agenda in Albania” , the event will provide attendees with a brief description of the situation regarding status and rights of LGBTI individuals within the country and the daily struggles that they face when it comes to discrimination. The aim of the game is to start a richer discussion on how everyone involved can work together towards the shared goal of greater diversity, tolerance, and respect.
On paper, members of the LGBTI community have almost the same level of rights and social freedoms as heterosexual individuals, but unfortunately, the reality tells a different story. Whilst legal frameworks such as LGBTI People in the Republic of Albania, The Resolution on the Rights of the LGBTI People, and the Anti- Discrimination Law have been adopted by the Albanian Parliament, little is being done when it comes to enforcement.
Whilst homosexuality has been decriminalized since 1995, it has become clear that if Albania wishes to pursue its dream of EU Membership, a lot more work needs to be done. In 2018, same sex individuals are unable to get married or enter into a civil union, forced or coerced surgeries for intersex individuals are still carried out, and there are no legal provisions for those that want to change their name or gender. This is in addition to the social stigma that is palpable in almost every aspect of society — homosexual individuals are openly vilified, shunned, and even physically and verbally abused, purely because of who they choose to engage in a relationship with.
One young Albanian man, Arber Kodra, decided that the current state of affairs was not conducive to an open and tolerant society and he set about trying to make change. Having already organised several successful forums and workshops through his NGO, “Open Mind Spectrum Albania” (OMSA), he decided to grab the proverbial bull by the horns and go for the jugular. He set about contacting politicians from all parties, as well as local activists, the US Ambassador and delegates from the EU. Whilst the support from non-Albanian organisations was forthcoming, his calls, emails and text to local politicians went largely unanswered.
Not taking no for an answer, he persisted and his hard work, dedication, and perseverance has resulted in the confirmation of participation from Vasilika Hysi (Vice Head of Parliament), Ogerta Manastirliu (Minister of Health and Social Defense), Nora Malaj (MP), Bruna Laboviti(Republican Party), Grida Duma (Democratic Party), Irma Baraku (Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination), and Erinda Ballanca (Ombudsman)in todays event.
Whilst this is a great success for Arber and the cause, I cannot help but notice the lack of male politicians that are willing to put their name to the campaign. Perhaps they feel that their masculinity is threatened by putting their name to such a cause, or maybe they are more concerned about the risk of losing male votes than they are for standing up for what is right. Either way, these individuals need to realize that as a politician, their duty is to serve the people and their constituents- not their own personal agenda. As such, they should be fighting for the rights and equality of the gay community who, shock horror, make up a significant portion of the electorate.
Ignoring this issue is not going to make it go away, while there is a desperate need for more acceptance and more diversity within the institutions and social structures of Albania. Extremism and discrimination should be vilified by the state and individuals should not have to hide their sexuality for fear of losing their jobs, being shunned, or having abuse shouted at them in the street.
I truly hope that the event is a success and pray that everyone who said they would attend, keeps to their word. The reality is that if Albania wants to become a member of the EU, it needs to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with societies that offer LGBTI, intersex, gender fluid, and other minorities’ equal rights and treatments. They need to be able to say hand on heart that they are all against discrimination in all of its forms and that the laws put in place to protect equality are enforced to the final letter of the law.
And as for the greater society? We need to understand that love is love and that who someone chooses to share a bed, or their life, with has no bearing on who they are as a person or the content of their character.
