The third Sarajevo pride march ended in front of the BiH Parliament building with two representatives, Amar and Maida, speaking to the crowd of supporters where they clearly said they demand laws protecting their human rights, freedoms and liberties and most of all – equality.

“This is a walk for all the LGBTIQ individuals who couldn’t be here, knowing they’d be here had we lived in a freer society. Two years ago we held the first Pride march where we showed we are brave, proud and defiant,” Amar said.
Two years after the first Pride, he said, no one was born to be imprisoned by his own four walls, facing serious discrimination from society as well as state institutions on a daily basis.

“Today I will be resolutely visible and proud of who I am, proud of myself because I am a gay man! Today, we are visible and proud of what we are: lesbians, gays, intersex, trans and queer people,” Amar stressed in his address.

After him, Maida addressed the public, saying that members of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina are constantly pointed out the constant violations of the human rights of LGBTIQ people and said that the streets must be equally accessible to all.

“From this place we are sending a request for the urgent adoption of the new Law on Public Gatherings, as well as the Law on Same-Sex Partnership because such couples are not able to exercise socio-economic rights arising from living together, they are not able to visit a partner in hospital, have joint property, inherit it in case of death, etc. The fact that such a law does not exist doesn’t mean that there are no same-sex partnerships. It means that they are doomed to be forever friends and girlfriends,” said Maida.

The BiH Pride march appealed for urgent changes in criminal legislation, regulation of hate speech based on sexual characteristics and sexual orientation.

Following these two speeches, at the very end of the event, Esma Numanovic sang a traditional Bosnian Sevdalinka song titled “Snow Falls on Blossoming Fruits” in which one of the verses says: “People should love whomever they please.”

This year’s Pride march was attended by the British, American and Swedish Ambassador to Bosnia, among other high profile participants.

The third #Sarajevo Pride march whose slogan was "Resistance from the Margins" ended with a traditional Bosnian song "Snow Falls on Blossoming Fruits" in which one of the verses says: "People should love whomever they please." ?️‍??️‍⚧️❤️????? https://t.co/fb7VuG1LDS

— N1english (@N1info) August 14, 2021