>--- Original Message ---
>From: Good Soldier Svejk <goodsoldiersvejk at hotmail.com>
>To: aut-op-sy at lists.village.virginia.edu
>Date: 7/12/01 8:40:29 AM
>
>As promised, an eye-witness account of the attack on the Serbian
Gay Pride
>event, with an interesting analysis of the relation between
fascism and
>homophobia.
>
>John
>
><message follows>
>
>30 June, 2001
>
>It was supposed to be a feast, the first public demonstration
of the
>gay lesbian movement, celebrating their international day, in
the main
>Square of the Republic, where all our democratic history has
happened.
>The only thing we feared, was bad weather. OK, let's be honest,
a big
>amount of homophobia is going on for years in Serbia, strengthened
by
>the wars, nationalism...But also marginalized by all those men's
>issues, the latest being the extradition of Milosevic, the guy
who was
>the role model for much of that "manly" behavior, which included
>bombing, killings, ethnic cleansing and finally mass graves
on our
>doorsteps, under our living bodies.
>
>Two days ago when the ex president
>was suddenly transported to Hague, his supporters organized
a meek and
>under control demonstration by the police in this same square.
Not
>today: a lively, colored and happy group, of 30-50 gays and
lesbians
>was supposed to sing and dance in the square and afterwards
a
>conference was supposed to be held at Students' Cultural center,
>a traditionally free alternative space for politics and culture.
This
>is what I saw happen:
>
>At three p.m. I was at the square, approaching a
>heavy crowd of mostly young males with bald heads , big muscles
and
>tight T shirts, wondering where is my lot...I heard a cameraman
>standing next to me say: now this will last only a few seconds,
no way
>such a thing will pass in Serbia...I wanted to answer him ,
no way,
>this is my Serbia too, but I was already on guard. After few
seconds
>I was overtaken by the stampede of a wild lot running to the
other
>side of the square: I spotted the gay group with balloons singing...I
>ran towards them too: it was a few hundred screaming, insulting,
>violent people against the few. The police were invisible, here
and
>there you could spot a special force guy. The flock attacked
the small
>group which begin to disperse in all directions...
>
>I followed a few of
>them: next thing I saw was a unknown guy to me with dyed blonde
hair
>being repeatedly beaten with sticks...his head was bleeding,
his
>nose...My friend was trying to drag him away, ten policemen
made a
>circle around us...but hundreds of them were breaking the circle.
>There were many journalists, with cameras...I thought I will
assist a
>lynch, I felt utterly helpless and lost. But the police started
>shooting in the air, the hooligans draw back for a second, the
next
>minute they were hurling screams "whores, degenerates" towards
>the square again. And there were other common policemen standing
and
>watching: as they hit a woman from a feminist group giving an
>interview, throwing eggs at anybody who seemed a participant...as
a
>girl passerby was dragged and insulted...
>
>With other two friends we
>started going towards the Students Cultural Center: a group
of guys
>followed us, insulting us and spitting on us, among crowds of
common
>people. My friend turned around and said: calm down honey...I
felt as
>killing him. The passersby were commenting in different ways,
>mostly, why bother with queers, kill them all, they are ruining
our
>clean Serbia. Some were just afraid or dumbfounded. Nobody I
heard
>said: let them be, they are people as we are, they have their
human
>rights.
>
>We arrived at the center, it was closed, police forces were
>all around and some women onlookers were screaming to them:
so you
>voted for democracy and this is what you get, you should protect
us,
>the straights, you assholes, because these decent men are protecting
>our honor. A very ugly fat elderly man was screaming and sweating,
>give me the lesbians I want to rape them...We just stood and
watched,
>giving interviews to all who wanted to hear a statement: the
only
>words I could say was, this is my Serbia too...this is fascism.
>
>Only
>afterwards, in the center, when hooligans were being arrested
and
>broken in small groups, I managed to put a more complex picture
>together: Milosevic is in Hague, the hooligans are frustrated,
instead
>of beating their wives and children, they are beating everything
>that doesn't resemble their picture of a patriot. Later still,
while
>sitting in the women's center and trying to see how many people
were
>hurt (8 policemen and about 8 civilians) all of us admitted
that this
>kind of violence and reaction never happened before and it was,
>notwithstanding all the fears, definitely not spontaneous.
>
>We gave
>many interviews, there were many crews, but after a few broadcasts
of
>spontaneous news, the official version became; a conflict between
>homosexuals and their opponents. The official statement of the
chief
>of the police ran the same: everything under control, thanks
to brave
>policemen. Three days before the meeting was officially reported
to
>the police: leaflets of the right winged organization threatened
>violence...
>
>That is not enough for me, I know better, behind that huge
>organized mass of violent, ethnically superior patriots, besides
the
>radical party, homophobic organizations, illiterate democrats,
is a
>bigger issue: the silent majority...including people in power,
those
>from the ex regime and these today. Those people , in few words,
>would say that Serbs have suffered enough disgrace and dishonor
to
>have this latest shame in public...digging dead Albanian bodies
is
>just about enough. And those people, to purify the national
>self-esteem, would love to impose religion in schools, restrict
>abortion, cut the voices of the minorities, ethnic or sexual.
>
>Now I
>still tremble from the fear I suffered, maybe the biggest in
my life,
>because it was personal and yet the deed impersonal, as lynch
is. But
>I do not want to speak or let my comrades speak as victims:
this is an
>occasion, no matter how painful to speak out, to denounce, to
claim
>the justice, the names of the organizers...Getting rid of Milosevic
and
>digging dead bodies from mass graves is not enough, we have
to get rid
>of all small Milosevics cruising around our cities and lives,
and dig
>out of our conscience and bodies all the intolerance and homophobia
>that for many years was neglected and upheld. I want to stay
upright
>and say: this is my Serbia too, though I am a woman, a marginal,
a
>feminist...whatever...I want to strike back at those whom I
want to
>declare outlaws and marginals, those who use violence and hate.
This
>is why I am writing this message, to all, demanding support
and
>publicity.
>
>Jasmina Tesanovic
>Belgrade 30 June, 2001
>
>
>
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>