Gay albanians
21/05/2012 | Writer: Kristi Pinderi
What the last three years in Albania has shown is that, while societal change in Albania will happen slowly, the power of an imagined community is real.
What the last three years in Albania has shown is that, while societal modify in Albania will come about slowly, the power of an imagined community is real.
Not exactly the place that comes to soul for most people when they think of hotbeds of gay activism. But in fact, this miniature, formerly communist nation is currently exploding with support and public debate about gay issues.
Next week Albanian activists will host the country’s first-ever gay, female homosexual, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) photo exposition, with invitations sent out to ambassadors and foreign dignitaries. More important than the presence of diplomats, though, is the fact that the exhibition is open to the public, and that the exhibition, part of the activities for the International Day Against Homophobia, will be covered by the media. Attendees will walk through a labyrinth of one-meter-square photos that evoke the feeling of being an LGBT person in Albania. Such a high-profile event featuring same-se
The Multifaceted Struggle of the LGBTQ+ Society in Albania
This inform is part of the larger anthology “Insights into Albania: Internal Struggles and Geopolitical Challenges in the Western Balkans”
Read the report here
Read the full anthology here
On May 17, 2024, during the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in Albania’s capital Tirana, Alba Ahmetaj and Edlira Maraj, after 15 years together, noted their love with a symbolic wedding ceremony on the rooftop of the Municipality of Tirana, surrounded by their two daughters and close friends. It was the first publicly celebrated Diverse wedding in Albania. Despite same-sex marriages not being legally recognized in the country, Ahmetaj and Maraj leveraged the interpretation of Article 53(1) of the Albanian Constitution, in which it is stated that “Everyone has the right to marry” without specifying the gender or sexual orientation of those wishing to marry.
The ceremony attracted significant attention, particularly from the country’s main religious institutions, which reacted negatively to both the event and the right to same-sex marriage in Albania. Widespread homophobic re
Albania
Albania has made significant strides in advancing legal protections for LGBTIQ individuals, though societal acceptance remains limited. Same-sex sexual action has been legal since 1995, with an equal age of consent for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation set at 14.
In 2010, the Parliament unanimously adopted the Law on Protection from Discrimination, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender persona in employment, knowledge, goods and services, health care, and housing. The regulation provides for the appointment of a Commissioner whose role includes reviewing complaints. Albania also has an Ombudsperson for human rights whose role includes observing and reporting on the human rights of LGBTI people. In 2013, the Albanian Parliament amended the criminal code to comprise crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity. The same year, the Parliament passed a new law making the dissemination of homophobic information a crime. While these provisions have been in place for more than ten years, the widespread response to dislike crimes, including investigations and the enforcement of protections, has been inadequate.
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Valdet Selimaj
In 2012 I wrote a blog post about my trial of being gay and Albanian. I was 30 at the time and needed to state myself how I felt. I was angry at how the Albanian community viewed me and treated me for being lgbtq+ when I came out.
Since then, I have been on an emotional, mental, and spiritual journey inward. I am also about to get a degree in psychology. My understanding of the world and people is much different from 2012.
I am 41 now and entering midlife has inspired me to demonstrate back on my life with a new lens and to dig deep into myself. This journey is for me to know myself and to detect my inner peace and happiness. Part of that means doing some shadow work and uncovering the chaos that lies within me.
This also means not avoiding some things anymore.
I strive to live a life occupied of gratitude for the abundance in my life instead of focusing on what I don’t have or didn’t get.
However, there is one missing thing in my life that I avoided addressing and has always been on the periphery of my mind until it recently pushed front and center:
My parents robbed me of a concrete parent/child relationship with them.
The Backstory
My family and