unity in the balkans are conservative politicians and the church old sway over large parts of public opinion. comics by certain thanks for watching. nico is in germany to learn german polish pinnacle. why not learn with him online, on your mobile and free chef fee w e learning course eco's big 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 that all the way the balkans deals with queer people. with those who don't identify as heterosexual. reveals much about the regions mentality these days is in those 10 influence of nation and religion is now shoot 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. all the stuff that out of the way should we hide away the guy at all? it is quite a brutal meal. the own. i only surround myself with long

loosely, i haven't got time for any clown. latin is yelling 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 july or business. 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 south field 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 war time and privately against her own identity. all gave me a provision that i was born a boy, but honestly i never felt like it was on asking, even at the age of 5, when my 1st memories day, frank, i thought it was normal to put on red lipstick so that it made me look nicer that would have to said be left. 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 as it almost you 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 was that was the story of the officer who transitioned and became a woman made headlines in serbia after newsweek interviewed her that vacovich had served her country, made people sympathetic to her case when young way appearing to loose on, on a tennis town it was a warm human interest during the top of your 250000 freight hobbles were distributed, and serbia also bummers and he stores that story completely changed attitude santiago, suddenly chance people were glued differently. i just heard from you a sticker transfer of them 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, the world who was on the algae b t i q persons at home. my parents were extremely violent. the school was also shell because i was constantly bullied and abused. but this whole social climate was that homosexuality or transgender is and so on was something that he's sick, something against god, something against the serbs or to dog's identity. she says, soviet 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 a, you know, sanctioned and cause you violence. in serbia. physical violence is something that it was even incurred 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 where people in serbia still live 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 that thought. wagner dot bits important that were 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 different, asian artificial pray drug as deckervidge also believes coche, she can help. so he founded the melancholy festival. the event is a showcase for queer films,

but it's also more than that. yet it worked avila pippin yesterday. eat. emma, do me favor that? it's also about relationships are to give people the chance to meet some a nice song, but never can. i find love for not just sags for a night. ah, the guy that's why we found it the film festival, red checks, yonkers bad thought altamont, the chava nip in film t. the music and literature role models are solely 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 40. who are the artists who dare to live openly as quills? the balkans biggest pop star comes from neighboring bulgaria. he provokes taking the identity game to the stream.

oh, 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, nib sky cathedral as is, is openly oh to new roma and his country's biggest pop star. 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 like, she was a pole that

a minute. but his prophecy came true as this is makes, if paulson folk law has won him millions of fans, yet his appearance is a provocation for religious and conservative bo gary us. he used to perform in drag . now he's the sensitive muscle man. 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 he just at the capital. now i just put on jeans and a t shirt. and i'm good to go, or somebody, the stupid transit as is supports a campaign and the giving homosexual young people, the courage to come out. the images are being shocked by her steady, crusty, of a much sought after fashion photographer in bulgaria. the monster with vital to

just saying gay, there still is certainly not self evident in small towns and bulgaria thoughtfully . 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, cojo, gar, micah, the posters. in my case, my mother brought me to a urologist. he examined my painters and declared everything's fine when he's not gay. over them is cause tough to me. ha. is as a kid and as i use, i was terrified of being exposed little tommy's ross. i'm gay. ro martin and my skins darker than other people's cream and answer problem everywhere, hasn't seen him. as he says in bulgaria, it's now easier to say and gay than i'm roma. ah, this is dusty. luckily, i've managed to change millions of people's opinions about homosexuals in

a neatly dean, but i haven't been able to change any one's about roman. for austell, racism is still very wide spread in bulgaria. doke was people make fun of how jumps historical block 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 a little. she is the way as is present himself in public isn't just to 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, member state bulgaria, same sex marriage has yet to be legalized. here, still the queen community is fighting for recognition within the country. thing.

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 the thing my asked that i had this picture is a self portrait integral julietta into collect is my 2nd self. she's a drug personality, that's not your typical drug screening, but more of a takes on a different personality. each time all go up to the us and paintings and drawings are bursting with humor. ju, either of you and in a beauty his queer art pears fishnet stockings with moustaches. a cat's weigh. the figures in my paintings and sketches all have something of me with my buyer to buy the mood,

a joy and love. the beauty and the magic. 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. strength feel self confident, aren't afraid to show the true, self said public. all of these images are from drag shows in sophia, in the 1990s back then, a completely new club culture sprang up here virtually overnight a everyone went to the 1st eclipse, with the 1st drug, queens and google boys. there were lavish and extravagant shows the drag queens did

more than just entertain. they aim to provoke and attract attention and use humor to question traditional gender roles. this made them tree of dragon bulgaria that your son is now t writing in an army, asked doyle, but it was like a curl of lown. all that which was festive and clubs today. own people put a lot of effort into there and here it was all been big party, but then suddenly it was all over says stunning me upon a yacht of who also experienced those club nights in the 19 ninety's. he's a philosopher with an interest in bulgaria is queer history, draw all wincing kings, and their performances are something that i already guard as a form of ours, the generation that was really active and shaped the culture here in the ninety's,

the prize they bathed was all they had to leave what's on board, 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 autism. 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 balkans, to knees on sleigh. 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 curious socially by through visibility. still homosexuality is slowly becoming more visible in the balkans on line in films and on t v. the final of the eurovision song contest due to its own 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 upon your toes doesn't think the show helps to spell prejudices, eurovision bulgaria, especially for conservative in the action. that of forces is one of those arguments

they use when they speak about gay littel ball. eurovision is like a kind of so clause or subaru, humans in, in though kind of for almost a week social. but your age and the embodiment of for some kind of for western up version the you vision potty took place in a nuclear cultural center located at the headquarters of the organisation single step. it was founded by entrepreneur yvonne demon who aims to create security visibility and acceptance. no, but the structural club, emily, the past they sang, a journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single stella gordon up posture. i believe we can achieve exempt and can society stand for slice, grammar spectra. given 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 they're eligible. yeah, because that's just been the case for many, many years. even team of also less 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 talk. i don't have anybody, 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 vats 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. johnny, they stock signs on the windows are very to came in here and attacked visitors projects, a collegial for means dance, political provocation, a negotiable network of adults. so they're trying to win vote set of queer people's expanse for bethany, 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 parent 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 um, i brought though, 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 is change all that triggered in septa and outpouring all 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 or 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 go it out in a so log submission 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's so, you know, talked about a q, you any feels like a bit like a small ambush mind. ah.

so does says for her, it's ultimately about more than just representation in politically correct language . it's about real acceptance in sophia night, has fallen. time for artist yas in school, rob skis, alter ego to put in an appearance. this is my 2nd so for julia to collect ticket, drag deja. things that go to her that every day ali me. so i think it's typical for bulgarians to celebrate for days on end. take loops difficulties, slightly off from whatever floor, with a glass of film. julietta is an institution in this club. she says drag culture is currently enjoying a renaissance with

dr. queens or the investors of the queer community. we are, gail. they're simply braving with. but it's not 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. i missed, but i thought you must look find that we need such parties bad a dash of color to bulgarian reality, a white which is sometimes pretty grey, a show people you can be free part of don't i want to inspire younger people who are afraid of coming out, that's juliette this mission, and they to spread, love and good cheer, not training. the dawn of a new era, evident in 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 e. 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 the guys 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 sit here today. it was worst when i was musical. i worked and the girls turned into pretty young woman. i cried champs is rochelle, so i'd still women's dress was fairly close lines and put them on to comfort myself

said, mellow dish. we meet alaina molnar at our community center in sarajevo. here she offers online counseling sessions for young people who severe nicole, the young trans people. call me kiera. kil, that means long. so mica, nestle, daniel, pauline and nipple. most young people suffer from not being understood by those around them. die niece, their family neighbors, et cetera. oh blushes, and they hide their identity and dress bessolo men at $9240.00 in the end. they haven't achieved anything made looking, nothing, not unique or niche iniesta. elena knows those feelings all too well for years. she also lived in fear and denial. but then suddenly everything changed. it also leads really to walk to trans people and sex reassignment surgery are taboo . topics and bosnia and herzegovina, you know, when we seldom will,

until 7 years ago, i didn't know anything about, you know, we trims local, shelly, and then i heard about major hellena vocational serbia and started doing research on the internet. yes. a butcher look and i discovered that were transferred to sophia police, a lola, the allstate trans alena molnar got to know. helena vacovich, who gave her a lot of help, and encouragement was, had the law. if i had known all this before, i had 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 starting off from sarajevo as dimly lit bus station. 70 you rode, elena molnar, embarked on the most important journey of her life.

the bus would take her to the doctor's in belgrade. i woke up with her, but she could not afford the expensive preparatory treatments and long hormone therapy required with jesus and will, will, i couldn't even afford to rent her room though i slept in ruins, a park floor at the last station. so i can save up money for the farm them, fellows by promos, and foolish to stones too bad. it doesn't, isn't it? over the last 2 years i've been reform. goshen. me so i'm no longer the person i used to. she lived in a cocoon for so long the cello and now i'm free. so some book, i'm a woman. the genius ah, is a normal queer life possible in bosnia and herzegovina, amena, a mum of it is trying to make that possible at the survey of 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 to go deal with the cause. there are parents who still send their children to religious conversion. they're legally sampsonoma bad thoughts about hardly any one talking about the national russian pro study math. a jani are unique where people live. yeah, pretty isolated. lions were barely visible in public road. i think that's why it's important to build up a network and strengthen the queer community. nice me way my mortgage. although some things have improved, i mean a remains careful when she's out in public. for for some rosanna claim, i do look a little queer job as a woman with short hair and how i dress, you know, and they always because every, when i encounter a large group of men, i either wait until they're gone or across the street. really say are really update

in the 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, a foreign partner at corn dog. i think that would be impossible. it's makeema would . that's why i would then leave this country boys. amanda 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 them are slowly casting off the chains that still binders patty under the sun. because i believe we're still living in

a phase of war 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. 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 are still visible in sarajevo to day. lena telemachus 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 are on tours 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 not easy volkswagen atlas at the saucy manner. 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 last 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 on the war, the family break up. and then the hopeless time after the war or, 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 when i look at some point, all those things caused my break down below that, so swap layla says the wall also sparked violence within families that is 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. dana snacking was that as they some might say, the war is over a presented in our literature. and art today i'll, i post of toil about the war lasted a long time. i was very painful nickina for every single one of us and for our society, molly dahlia priest for no. those tenant context. next

we had to pre your 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 in bronco chilly bark lives in pre a door. he's gay in a place where being openly queer is still dangerous militia. now that the reason if it comes here all night after being attacked physically, 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. 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 does 1 o'clock, we are dealing with his organization called clark. 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, sales volcano, at that moment. so when i saw the huge number of people who were there, i was so happy and content and coupled with the previous fear and sudden oblong,

all those feelings completely overwhelmed. me. me think that i would almost be his surveys are being able to go out in public health and not to show that we exist and the problems we have every day and it was more that was a huge success or 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's 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 don't have a nice night here. a door towards europe is opening outside of it all day

with bushel fred shoe finds his inspiration in the mountains. ah, definitely may have been many there are. yes. this is one of my favorite places, almost yonder chip. obviously it's a place of crashed. i sat the last 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, me to log you again back the mickelson legend of this place, quail hollow into my lyrics because my p santa ah ah, he makes sift of 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 psalms 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 ardent and with music, and the the only admit that the was, ah, bozo is a spiritual person. he rises early trains sings and reads. then he has he, in this tea house that become his 2nd home bozo exudes a great sense of in apiece. but his appearance has also made him enemies in a country strongly influenced by islam and orthodox christianity dallas their

threepenny. ah dreadful, whether you're queer or gay, or just trying to live your life, you really need some more water to the man to some one who will help you in this battle. who got question on because it's really, really tough to be a pioneer. we are and change things as an individual, he, cowboy, dina, it's for me, any thought neg attorney maybe that wasn't my primary motive motive. alec was more but i think my musical helps people to accept their differences between us. his chiva lowered 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 lou go may keep our mouth,

vivian, my a valve cover. china old lizzie on i think things will get better big. i believe that's a good me egg it. unfortunately, we're still in constant distract, crazy, lazy. this distress stems from a huge sense of insecurity and fear of living our own lives on a project. like, oh, i saw some 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 where both and just more awareness of called queried yes

and not them. i hope that the queer community will become strong guys and that more people will come out with a fair outfit that people will finally start living without steal, travel across vehicles. if serbia wants to be a chew democracy, it must protect its minority or swaim and una. seneca wasn't fighting for rituals that were free and equal and accepted would need to be which any we did this. you know, because we want adults, 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, in vision bulgaria as a queer vacation paradise in the balkans. i was gonna say, nick and your father,

the less love the winner. ah, to the point, strong opinions, positions, international perspectives, sweden and finland want to join the nissan military alliance out of decades of neutrality. so will it make them safer, a nato stronger, and this is russia writes available for them before i find out until the point shortly. to the point in 30 minutes on w. o.

a natural with return to the cost of the with any success stories ration of biodiversity distorts. me 20 d w ah ah

ah ah, this is the w is life from berlin, the more ukrainian fighters levy as our styles steel planted, mario paul, under russian guard. moscow says more than 1700 have surrendered, but there's been no independent confirmation of where they've been taken. keith hasn't commented on how many is still there.