rhonda off the top story, we're following for you. jackie has blocked talks on finland and sweden joining nato president, recham 5, add on accused as the 2 nordic nations of harboring kurdish terrorist. that's all for now. after break robots is hit with the business news. as the u. s. calls on tariffs on russian oil. i'm pulling up ex, watching not just another day with so much is happening all at once. we take time to understand this is the day and in depth look at the current news, events analyzed by experts and critical thinkers. this is the weekdays, on d w. ah ah

. in the balkans, being openly gay, lesbian by or transgender is still dangerous. i received, i don't know how many death read them to the city, but you can't just kiss your boy frontiers. if you will. the risk of getting be to not seen the a little the way the balkans deals with queer people. with those who don't identify, as heterosexual, reveals much about the regions mentality these days isn't, don't influence of nation and religion. let's now show down. so quick people in the arts community are now taking a stand and fighting for their rights stuff. i've changed millions of people's minds about homosexuals in the book. should we hide away the guy at all? just is quite able to neil the own. i only

surround myself with long prudery. i haven't got time for anything around that michelin the army and the church are held in highest regard in serbia. yet the capital of this very conservative country is also home to one of the most important medical centers for transgendered people. world wide, many sex reassignment operations are performed here undergoing such a procedure was the most significant event in helena vacovich, his life. antipathy tyler dorothy operation lasted 5 and a half hours and i lost

a lot of the lie or municipally. when i woke up, i was exhausted, but the 1st thing i said was give me my fell into their lives and i took the southeast and posted it was the caption. hello world. in osler's fall, helena vacovich is probably the most famous trans person in the balkans. helena served as an officer in the serb army, fighting for her country in wartime, and privately against her own identity polka me to be seen that i was born a boy. but honestly, i never felt like it was on national, even at the age of 5, when my 1st memories day trial, i thought it was normal to put on red lipstick so that it made me look nicer. and it would have to say, beloved, she at 19 vacovich married his high school sweetheart. it was true love and she knew his secret. then he joined the military when i called okay, building and i wanted to kill dominique. good luck,

better way to do that than to go to military school, sit wishkey to become more masculine, to be a real man. yeah. but no matter how hard you try, you can't change your nature. national. i was just born this way. you know, so that the storage the story of the officer who transitioned and became a woman made headlines in serbia after newsweek interviewed her. that book of it had served her country, made people sympathetic to her case when young way appearing to use on, on a train estron. it was a war human interest in the top of your 250000 freight hobbles were distributed in serbia, also bombers and he stores that story completely changed. she had santiago, suddenly chance people were glued to fly. i just heard from you a sticker transferable but the battle for acceptance hasn't been one yet. belgrade is the economic, political, and religious center of the western balkans. but here queers can only really be

themselves within their own 4 walls. most serbs believe homosexuality has no place in public life. the pride info center is the only place in serbia where the rainbow flag is always flying. i gotta do it is active here. she's been fighting against discrimination for over 2 decades and been through some terrible times. ologist say that i grew up feeling all alone that i was the only person in the world who was on the algae b, g u person's at home my, my parents were extremely violent. the school was also shell because i was constantly bullied and was abused. but this whole social climate was that homosexuality or trans january's and so on was something that he's sick, something against god, something against the serbian or to dogs. identity. she says sylvia is still in the

grips of a culture of violence. fostered by the yugoslav was by hooligans, politicians, and also the church, serbia, was and still is an extremely a tree. our coal society with very straight gender roles. and the, if you step, you know, out of your gender role that could be, you know, sanctioned and cause you violence in serbia. physical violence is something that it was even encouraged in 2001 i gotta helped organize bell grades 1st prize parade, which found a terrible end hooligans and neo nazis who'd been egged on by priests and politicians, attacked the participants was really literally wars on the streets of belgrade and the police didn't protect us. i remember imploring bagging and some of my colleagues police to react, but then they would say, how,

why should we, we protect faggots and dykes and trannies or whatever. i'll guitar still received threats, but she and her organization gettin continue to fight for the rights of trans people in serbia, for protection from discrimination and violence, and the recognition of same sex marriage queer people in serbia still lived dangerously. that's why most of them haven't come out in the public. says film producer and journalist pray drug as deckervidge neg, the missing they thought vice north dar. it's important that we're visible. it's the only way that an over time will reach a point where other people at least say so what it makes no difference asian oddish or prey drug as deckervidge also believes co chicken help. so he founded the mailing co festival. the event is a showcase for queer films,

but it's also more than that. yet. it worked avila pippin yesterday. e. m a t. you me fair that it's also about relationships are to give people the chance to meet some a nice god, but never can i find love for not just sanks for a night. ah, up the guy. that's why we found it. the film festival checks yonkers are backed up all of the chava nip in film t. the music and literature role models are sorely needed in the fight for equal rights in the balkans minimum on the, on the blood donor actor has come out here in the yes and that, that more people will come out and fight for their rights up. and then that will treat where people like they do in the west, emma, especially in the cartridge saturday to gaudy. who are the artists who dare to live openly as quiz. the balkans biggest pop star comes from neighboring bulgaria. he provokes taking the identity game to stream.

i welcome to sylvia. the bulgarian capital is poor, but sexy, grungy yet hip flamboyant and square residents say that sooner or later you fall in love with sophia. it's attractions include the national palace of culture, hand the alexander never sky cathedral, as is, is openly oh to new roma and his country's biggest pasta. he's also a panelist on the popular tv show, the mosque singer. oh oh, i was when i was by told my mother, you'll see. i'll be famous one day my crew. he was a pole and a little thought

a minute. but his prophecy came true. as this is mix of hoffman, folk law has won him millions of fans. yet his appearance is a provocation for religious and conservative bo gary and he used to perform in drag . now he's the sensitive muscle man. ah, what does it say not to be honest, at some point, i found it down to dress up as a woman. she because i didn't want to have to spend 3 hours preparing for a performance and each us at the capital. now i just put on jeans. and a t shirt and i'm good to go, or somebody just wanted to visit a, as is supports a campaign and beginning homosexual young people, the courage to come out. the images are being shot by her steady crusted, a much sought after fashion photographer in bulgaria. ah, the monster with what is just saying gay,

there still is certainly not self evident in small towns and bulgaria thought perfect. so for the campaign that we wanted to get as many v i p some board as possible. aah! as is knows what it's like to grow up gay in a country who's values are defined by the orthodox church, and a deeply ingrained macho culture regard my can be posted. in my case, my mother brought me to a urologist. he examined my penis and declared everything's fine when he's no gale . brought them is cause tough to me. ha. is as a kid and as i use, i was terrified of being exposed little to me that us, i'm gay. romaneli and my skins darker than other people's premier. that's a problem every what hassled segan in us is says in bulgaria, it's now easier to say on gay than i'm roma. this is dusty. luckily, i've managed to change millions of people's opinions about homosexuals in

a need to have been, but i haven't been able to change any one's about romance. for austell, racism is still a very wide spread in bulgaria. doke was people make fun of how gypsies torkel chips is due for funding. and incidentally, i consciously say the word gypsy because i'm not afraid of it in a manner i use it as often as i want to see is the way as is present himself in public isn't just for show. it's also a political statement. one that's helping him change views about quiz across the balcony. it still takes quite a bit of courage to live as openly as, as is does in e, u, members, state bulgaria, same sex marriage has yet to be legalized here. still, the queen community is fighting for recognition within the country.

when yas in school rosky sits down at his canvas, he forgets everything around him. he's a drag queen and a d. j, as well as an internationally renowned painter and illustrator. a gina is attaining why after that i had this picture is a self portrait integral julietta into electric. it is my 2nd self. she's a drug personality, that's not your typical drug screening, but more of a soldier takes on a different personality. each time all go up it. yes and paintings and drawings are bursting with humor, joy to view, and in a beauty his queer art pears fishnet stockings with moustaches, a way the figures and my paintings and sketches all have something of me.

i'm a buyer to buy the mood, a joy and love, the beauty and the magic. and i can see with justin has been active in sophia club scene since the collapse of communism in bulgaria, in 1989 here. everyone knows him and his alter ego, julietta intergalactic, a last reg personalities are important for the queer community that changing the domain st. strains your self confidence and aren't afraid to show the true, self said pulling all of these images from drag shows in sophia, in the 1990 back, then a completely new club call. just bring up here virtually overnight. a list of everyone went to the 1st a list. they had the 1st drag,

queens and go boys. there were lavish and extravagant shoes. the drag queens did more than just entertain. they aim to provoke and attract attention and to use humor to question traditional gender roles. made them political. these nineties, hilo videos belong to a new archive documenting the history of dragon bulgaria that yassin is now curating. and i know me asked doyle, but it was like a curl of lown. all that which was festive to include today. ah, people put a lot of effort into there and here it was opened big party but then suddenly it was all over says stunning me. upon a lot of who also experienced those club nights in the 19 ninety's. he's a philosopher with an interest in bulgaria is queer history drug. oh, queens and king. and their performances are something that i already guard as

a form of ours. the generation that was really active them shape the culture here in the ninety's the prize they bathed was on the how to leave. what's important, especially when it comes to queer cultural expression. i think a lot of people, less cinema organizes the sophia queer form. now he's preparing an exhibition together with artist christiane sherlock of sherlock holmes, graphic, odd features, traditional bulgarian motifs, with a quick twist. but some he, if feel his odd works, go too far for them. nation, religion and family, and no laughing matter. the artist says bulgarians like to claim their tolerance,

they're fine with quiz, just not in their own family. queer baldwin's knees on flay. we already know and assume that the culture is there. and my answer is rooted in industrialization. i wouldn't say that we ourselves often enough to actually i was serious socially but through the visibility still, homosexuality is slowly becoming more visible in the balkans on line in films and on tv. the final of the eurovision song contest due to it's often camp and eccentric acts. the e s. c has long been a hit with the quick community, including the balkans quiz does regularly take part. still standing me putting your told doesn't think the show helps to spill prejudices, eurovision bulgaria,

especially for conservative in the action. that, of course is one of those arguments they use when they speak about gail ball. eurovision is like a kind of so clause or sub argument and in no kind of homophobic social. what you age of the embodiment of some kind of western up version the you a vision party took place in a nuclear cultural center located at the headquarters of the organization single step. it was founded by entrepreneur yvonne demon who ames to create security visibility and acceptance. nope, at the structural club, emily, the past they sang a journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single stable door knob pulse you. i believe we can achieve exempt in cancer sanity stand for slice premise, but even demos organization supports queen young people and their parents.

he says it's high time. such help is being offered in bulgaria. i think an indicator of where, where we are in terms of acceptance of algebra. yard people will be how many young people leave the country primarily because their eligibility i because that's just been the case for many, many years. even team of also left bulgaria to study in the us and then worked on wall street bought 4 years ago, a visit to his homeland changed everything. this young kid, i didn't know, he asked me camry dog. i don't have anybody to doctor. she shared with me that job, he had tried to commit suicide after our telling his mom, she was gay and she had taken him to a psychiatrist to be cured. and dom that's story.

this kid that was right in front of me really affect of my life a year later i came back in sure establish single stem exhibitions like this one aim to make queen love visible and give young people courage. displaying photos like these in public is still an exception in the balkans with the exhibition made single step a target for nationalists and religious fanatics. right from the legit across results. journey play stuck signs on the windows are very to came in here and attacked. visit is now projects a canadian shoe for me, dance political provocation. he mcgonigal, but don't trust that they're trying to when vote said a queer people's expanse technique that stood up. even dim of says, there's just one way to counter such publication to stand up and be counted

at this more to tower artists, septicemia is presenting a work which reveals her innermost thoughts. it's comprised of entries from her diary which have been super imposed and applied to the towers bare walls. they tell the story of her coming out after kissing some girl and the pair did. and they say so, you know, let's go get some coffee or whatever. and she'll be like, well, there is shocking come from. and so i started, you know, and realizing that may be my, i sexuality is not exactly the way that it's, you know, supposed to be. it was very arm roto, actually because i lost our lots of friends and i got into many fights, and it was difficult for lots of people to actually accept this change. all that

triggered in septa, an outpouring of artistic creativity. this exhibition is entitled to forces that create one another. the one force is the individual sexuality. the other is society's powers of assimilation served oh wants to know how the true self can survive in society without being dismissed by the majority in stereotypical fashion. for me just being able to tell a story and throw it out in the so looks a bit on as a gay woman and being completely, you know, open about that and leaving no question about it at all. that feels important for me as an artist, as well. in a western societies where identity politics gets like it becomes a dirty weren't. i'm just because it so, you know, talk about a q u any feels like

a bit like a small revenue minus, ah, served us says for her, it's ultimately about more than just representation in politically correct language . it's about real acceptance in sylvia night has fallen. time for artist johnson school, rob skis, alta he goes to put in an appearance. this is my 2nd. so for junior to look electrical drug teacher. yeah. think that it got her that every day. i mean me. so i think it's typical for bulgarians to celebrate for days on end, take life's difficulties slightly off from whatever floor the 3rd class at bell julietta is an institution in this club. she says, drag culture is currently enjoying

a renaissance with the swan dried queens or the ambassadors of the queer community gale. they're simply briefing with audits and all of the clubs are no longer just for gays and lesbians. they're mixed. and julietta isn't the only one to think that's a welcome development. but i thought you must be fine that we need such parties bad a dash of color to bulgarian reality a. and that's why it, which is sometimes pretty grab, double me putting a show people you can be free, caught up with, and i want to inspire younger people who are afraid of community. lots julietta is mission by nature spread love and good cheer training. the dawn of a new era, evidence and sophia can't yet be felt in sarajevo,

the capital of bosnia and herzegovina. since the end of the ottoman empire, islam has been a major influence on society here. many young people leave the country hoping for better opportunities in the u. homophobia is widespread, but policy makers are now discussing legalizing same sex marriage, hoping that will help bosnia a seed to the in change may be slow in coming, but elaina molnar thinks it's better late than never at 70. she could finally become the woman. she always knew she was slow voices, rules to that i felt like a woman for as long as i can remember, not to ship and i liked what the girls were wearing and wanted to dress like that would said piet, judge, it was worse when i was the quality of work and the girls turned into pretty young

women. i cried champs is rochelle, so i'd still women's dress was fairly close lines and put them on to comfort myself, said mow dish. we meet alaina molnar at our community center in sarajevo. here she offers online counseling sessions for young people who sort of a nicole did young trans people call me kiera kil, that means long. so mica nestle, daniel, pauline, and nip. most young people suffer from not being understood by those around them. die nice their family neighbors, et cetera. oh blushes, and they hide their identity. dress bessolo men at 9240, but in the end they haven't achieved anything. major looked in nothing, not unique or niche iniesta. oh, alina knows, those feelings all too well for years. she also lived in fear and denial. but then suddenly, everything changed. but also so blades really to move to trans people and sex

reassignment surgery are taboo. topics and bosnia and herzegovina canal from saddam will until 7 years ago. i didn't know anything about the trims, local shelly. and then i heard about major helena vall, corvette sheila serbia and started doing research on the internet. yes, i'm put you look and i discovered there were transcripts to pseudo. yep. laneesa lola, the posted trans. elena molnar got to know helena vacovich, who gave her a lot of help and encouragement. a lot. if i'd known all this before, i'd have started transitioning much sooner. only a butch elaina made great sacrifices to begin her new life in neighboring serbia. she found doctors who would perform the sex reassignment surgery stunning off from sarajevo as dimly lit bus station. 70. you rode elaina molnar,

embarked on the most important journey of her life. the bus would take her to the doctor in belgrade i woke up with, but she could not afford the expensive preparatory treatments and long hallman therapy required with jesus in mobile. i couldn't even afford to rent a room, though i slept in ruins, a park or at the last station. so i could save up money for the farm. them was followed by promotion fullness through stones too bad. it doesn't judge it over the last 2 years. i've been reform closure me so i'm no longer the person i used to. she lived in a cocoon for so long the children now i'm free also, but i'm a woman. the juice ah, is

a normal queer life possible in bosnia and herzegovina. amena a mom of it is trying to make that possible at the sarajevo open center. she campaigns for equal rights, such as same sex marriage fights against discrimination and organizes aid for victims of violence. i only money keyvonte who is the cause. there are parents who still send their children to religious conversion, thoroughly sampsonoma. but those are hardly any one to talk to you out of the national russian pro study math. the jani are unique where people live. yeah, pretty isolated. lions were barely visible in public already. that's why it's important to build up a network and strengthened the career community. nice mia grey, my mortgage. although some things have improved, amina remains careful when she's out in public. for for some rosanna claim, i do look a little queer job as only with short hair and how i dress you and they always

because every when i encounter a large group of men, i either wait until they're gone or across the street only say, are ili operate in a little war style. it's a constant battle for safety and acceptance and of the law, the law. oh, i don't think we've reached the point here that i as a woman who loves other women, could raise a child with my partner. ah swearing partner, corn dog, i think that would be impossible. it's makeema was that's why i would then leave this country boys. amanda nod handed them and she's not alone in thinking that way. many young people have long left in search of a better life. in the e. u, amina says, the constant struggle for better living conditions, zaps her strength. she's only in her early twenties, but already exhausted. the thing that, that the deny that our society is making progress. but the future is our young

generation of our slowly casting off the chains that still binders party under the sun. because i believe we're still living in a phase of war. he just without visible weapons and vice versa. but we as a society still find ourselves in a very unsafe supposing automatically and honesty going on. mm ah. in bosnia and herzegovina, queer people are confronted with prejudice and the long shadows of war. the deep scars left by the bosnian war which ended in 1995 i still visible in sarajevo to day. laner tele mortgage is one of the most prominent voices of young lesbian literature in the balkans in i should fish amazon. there's less of the shell of them. i wrote a lot about what happened after the war in the late 19 alberta. we on them forced

back then no one talked about, clear people l g, b, t your them at that familiar. it was really hard to meet. others like yourself that and thus lack of contact created a great loneliness with salmon was below was try night. is bog snag? ashleigh said the saucy man, i'm not. she pulled these experiences into her book. call me esteban. it's a collection of stories about her family. the war and the love between 2 women. do you hear a volley of machine gun flyer, bullets hurtles through the air like gloating birds. then the country in which i lived lost as peace. so my family inevitably lost its peace till the scars left by the war still exist on walls and in people's souls.

layla kellum was each was 12 when the war began, and 15 when it ended said this on a as day. it are the war, the family breaker, and then the hopeless time after the war and feeling different than other people that brought up. not knowing anyone who feels the same way or, and who i could tell who i really was in the last thoughts what i look at some point, all those things caused my break dollars up, so swap them. layla says the war also sparked violence within families. that's being carried on into the younger generation. it's an ongoing trauma for people in bosnia and herzegovina. and its impact can be seen in literature, art and music to this day. dennis and i came as that as they some might say, the war is over a presented in our literature and art today i'll of hostile toil about the war lasted

a long time and was very painful. nickina for every single one of us and for our society, molly dahlia freeze for all those tenant context. next, we had to pre door in a north of the country, a 6 hour drive from sarajevo with the war also raged here. images from one of the nearby concentration camps shocked the world in 1992 a bronco. chilly bark lives in pre a door. he's gay in a place where being openly queer is still dangerous as almost an hour at the reason if it comes here all night after being attacked physically and psychologically was in here, it's impossible for 2 men to hold hands on the street or to be affectionate. with one another in a cafe? no. the way heterosexual couples are because the risk of violence is very high

order for them to look now see the other orders here, unfurling a rainbow flag in front of a city hall can cause a full blown scandal. all the all or still doesn't do you know? yes i am in antonio's violence and heat are always present when we talk about queer people in our society of those boston also, they thought incidentally, the hatred of queers is what? bonds far, right? groups together. the most part doesn't o'clock, we're dealing with his organization called fought. he tries to teach young people empathy and offer queer youths a safe place to meet out. i was the head to going eternal bonnet, bull street in bosnia herzegovina. there still is not a single cafe for queer people. ordinary i've no nice exists where they can meet in public without having to put on an act a mom or what we really need

a reliable institutions and talk which supports us when it's necessary, like a down a nas, i, stars eyes the bottom in 2019 bronco witness to a historic moment 1st hand when his country hosted its 1st ever pride parade in sarajevo. the police presence was huge. fearing attacks, participants were only allowed to carry rainbow flags within the secured areas. ah, bronco helped organize the parade. a mazda, thanks for coming you to into the streets of sarajevo, to fight for equal rights in bosnia herzegovina. ah, that isn't sales volcano at that moment. so when i saw the huge number of people

who were there and i was so happy and content and play coupled with the previous fear and sudden oblong of those feelings completely overwhelmed. me. me think that i would almost be his surveys are being able to go out and put like up and to show that we exist and the problems we have every day and it was more that was a huge success. are generally dot dot the parade was a really, really big step for the school. more all we spent 15 years fighting to make that parade also on the honor drama, which led us advice armed alright, over donna. this also taking part in his historic parade was singer bushel rachel esther in bosnia herzegovina. he is known and loved beyond the borders of his homeland. but missing that i really believe that today we're coming out of the dark mason stepping into the light. that's the best description for

what's happening here today. oh, it's been a love connect because i have a nice night here. a door towards europe is opening outside of it all day. ah, boucher fred shoe finds his inspiration in the mountains. ah, definitely may have been many that i yes, this is one of my favorite places. 0000000 gotch. i apologize. it's a place of crashed. i sat the i think we have a stronger connection to nature and to society called prong annual dynamic tuscany . so i tried to devote myself to these things like an archaeologist to log you again back the mickleson legend of his place, quail hollow into my lyrics because my p santa ah ah, he makes several music mixing traditional balkan folk songs sung at weddings and

funerals with muslim and jewish prayers, and fragments of ancient byzantine liturgy. he finds material for his songs in archives, old collections and museums with some. all right, so now i took what is really pure, whatever type the call to prayer or ah, toby's anti scope songs which are consciously close to god to nature and to self create a disarmament. phoebe, i always say not and saved eyes my kindred spirit. i have dogs, hon. more than my marriage, her great thought my marriage with art again and with music, and the the only admit that there was, ah, bozo is a spiritual person. he rises early trains sings and reads. then he has t in this t house that become his 2nd home. bozo exudes a great sense of in a piece. but his appearance has also made him enemies in

a country strongly influenced by islam and orthodox christianity. dallas. there threepenny, a dreadful, whether you're queer or gay, or just trying to live your life. you really need some more water to the my, to some one who will help you in this battle. who got question because it's really, really tough. he to be a pioneer. yeah. and change things as an individual, he, cowboy, dean. it's for me. any thought neg attorney maybe that wasn't my primary motive more did. alec was more but i think my musical helps people to accept their differences between us. his chiva, your lord, the but in the balkans there are very few queer people who express themselves as freely as he does. and people love him for it. in the late 19 ninety's, everything was about showing national and religious solidarity. it was important to belong not to be different. so for many in the balkans coming out his queer is

still taking a big risk. if he did what the point of logo may keep our mouth video. mike, a valve cover china oddler z on i think things will get better dig. i believe that's a good me egg it. unfortunately, we're still in constant distract. crazy lazy distress stems from a huge sense of insecurity and fear of living our own lives on it towards it. like, oh, a damn. was it come you live below. music has always been my protective shield, you know, to pronounce your love, you know, to pronounce your sabbath. i found freedom, laugh and myself, the through muse, any costume for the lp. ah, this film is about fear and courage, art and power, violence and love. so what will the future bring for quiz in the balkans? well,

i would like to see the quiz bowl. just more awareness of called queried yes and not them. i hope that the clear community will become stronger and that more people will come out with their outfit. that people will finally start living without steal, travel across the vehicle. if serbia wants to be a true democracy in mass protected minority or swaim and una seneca wasn't fighting for her, which was that were free and equal and accepted to what need which any we did this because one to love. all we want to know. i really hope that in 10 years young i would you be gay. people chose to stay in this country. nice relatives. in my wildest dreams, invisia bulgaria as a queer vacation paradise in the balkans. tell you about our new day nic and your

father. the less love the winner ah, caught red handed massive ships, don't poisonous waste water into the world ocean accused. and n g o is investigating 1500 cases in b, u. waters alone, or. but were there consequences, deceitful cover up tactics? ensure huge profits for those responsible made in germany. in 30 minutes, dw,

into the conflict zone with sebastian as the kremlin began its war against you, crated force, but closure brushes, laugh independent media outlets to secure absolute control of the public narrative about the invasion. but did it work? my guess is week, is your catherine culture causes news, editorial presenter and one of the last channels to be shut down, conflict zone. even 90 minutes on d. w from the bowl with natural spectacle in an improved world. the meeting of the loom whale sharks of the remote island of san antonio. ah, it is

a testament to the quality of the waters one of the many success stories from a bastion of biodiversity starts may 20th on dw. ah, this is dw news and these are our top stories. tacky has blocked talks on finland and sweden joining nato. both nordic nations have formerly submitted membership bids, expanding the alliance requires the unanimous.