Dear sisters, we invite you to join the Lesbian Spring – a four day event taking place in Belgrade from April 16th to April 19th!:)) We’re a grassroots group of lesbians, friends, and activists from various groups in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we want to bring the Lesbian Spring to full bloom in April! 🙂
We want to bring together lesbians from all of Serbia, the region and the world, to exchange energy and strengthen each other, and also to open up a space where we can exchange knowledge and experiences pertaining to our lesbian existence, political actions and lesbian culture!
Our work is based on feminist principles and is done on a volunteer basis. Our intention is to stand in the way of patriarchy and lesbophobia, and mark 20 years of the lesbian movement in Serbia! We are all aware that social circumstances in Serbia are extremely negative when it comes to lesbian rights – we are confronted with constant lesbophobia, attacks on lesbians are frequent and it’s potentially dangerous to hold hands in public places or show affection.
The goal of the Lesbian Spring is to strengthen lesbians and the lesbian networks across Europe, as well as raise the visibility of lesbians through promotion of lesbian culture. The program consists of a series of workshops and panels where we will discuss the beginnings of the local lesbian movements, the challenges we have faced and lessons we’ve learned, which direction we’re heading in now and how we want to strengthen lesbians in Serbia and decrease patriarchy and homophobia which influence the circumstances of our lives.
There will also be photo exhibits of lesbian artists, movie screenings, sports activities, and in the evening we have prepared a rich musical program featuring lesbian DJs! The program ends with a Dyke March, when we will take over the streets of Belgrade alongside feminists, women with disability, Roma women, and lesbians from around the world. Our friends from the World March of Women will also join us and discuss challenges they’ve been facing in their local communities. They’ll share their experiences and knowledge gained along the journey of the World March of Women as well.
The Lesbian Spring is organized in cooperation with the informal activist group “V(j)estice” (Witches), and with support from the Reconstruction Women’s Fund, BeFem – Belgrade Feminist Festival, the Autonomous Women’s Center, People’s Hostel, Labris – Lesbian Human Rights Organization and Magacin in Kraljevica Marka Street.
We invite you to join us and take part in the Lesbian spring – take part in the program and advance the idea that being a lesbian in Serbia isn’t a shame, but rather a fortunate occurrence!
If you need more information feel free to write to us at lesbianspringbelgrade@gmail.com.
Spring will never be the same… 🙂
See you soon!
Lesbian Spring 2015 – PROGRAM:
Thursday, April 16th
8pm – showing important lesbian related events in last 20 years, staging out lesbian participation in public spaces. Photos are from Labris archives. Exhibition would be presented by Labris activist Dragoslava Barzut.
9pm – Film “There’s place for all of us”
“There’s place for all of us” is a short activist film on lesbians and gays who decided to take over Belgrtade streets and enable space for freedom and new history to be created. Movie shows scenes of brutal beating of activists while the first Pride March attempt was held back in 2001 in Belgrade. It reminds us to challenges and courage we, as a movement have showed, as well as solidarity movement was founded on. After the movie projection, personal stories of activists would be shared.
“What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence.”
Audre Lorde
Friday, April 17th
12-14h – Discussion on Lesbian existence of Roman’s women
Discussion is led by Roman’s women, lesbians Tamara Mitić and Nadica Marinković, speaking about their experiences, connections, resistance, fears and hopes as being a part of their lives in oppressive society.
“We as Roman’s women and our sexuality, especially non-heterosexual sexuality are under constant pressure and are constantly denied our human rights.”
Vera Kurtić, discussion moderator, Dzuvljarke book.
14-15h – Lunch
15-18h – Discussion “Sisters outsiders”
Discussion “Sisters outsiders” – Lesbian activists from region and Europe speak about history of lesbian movement in their countries, victories from their past, visions about future and needs to achieve those visions, as well as feminist values in lesbian movement.
Discussion would be open by Lepa Mlađenović whose speech would be followed by slide show, Sanja Juras from Croatia, Marija Vuletić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Clara Carbunar (March of World’s Women), Raymonda Sylbie from Kosovo , Biljana Ginova from Macedonia, Zoe Gudović from Serbia.
“Challenge that activists face is to respond to the needs that appear in a moment, in a way that would “fix” today and bring better tomorrow.”
Angela Davis.
The discussion will be moderate by Tijana Popivoda.
19-20h Dinner
20h Projection of movie “Lesbiana” and discussion with the director, Miriam Fougere
Lesbiana – A Parallel Revolution
Myriam Fougère / Canada / 2012 / 63 mins / English and French with English subtitles
The film Lesbiana witnesses new lifestyles focused on women, while in creation. Lesbian culture is represented in a film as a way of political engagement through literature, movies, music, theater, philosophy and so, becoming a part of parallel revolution. Through archive footage, as well as interviews with activists, director revives personal and political realities of a time we know little about. After the film, a discussion with director would be moderated by Jody Roy.
“Being a lesbian means loving, caring for and respecting women in my mind, heart and soul. This love toward women is what my whole life is based on.”
Andrea Dworkin
Saturday, 18th of April
12:00 – 3:00 pm: football + sports activities (25. Maj Sports Center)
Revolution that you did not expect. Women playing with balls, not rags.
3:00 – 6:00 pm – creating stencils and protest signs for action
Discussion titled: “Partisan girl was a lesbian!”
This discussion is devoted to creative poetry of feminists and lesbians where we will think and create in a group and create political paroles for Dyke March. We will use acrylic paint, spray paint and brushes.
If you have any other desired way of creating like for example collage, sewing materials, wool, markers, stickers and other, feel free to bring them to the event.
Hosting the event: Dragana Garić, lesbian, feminist, activist and
Facilitatirs: Dragana Garić & Arundi, lesbian feminists activists.
Event is for all L, B and T women, as well as queer feminist friends.
Men are not allowed to be present and participate!
★Hey, hey, let it be heard, Partisan girl was from lesbian world!★
6:00 – 7:00 Dinner
7:00 Projection of the movie “I love SFK”
Documentary film “I love SFK” by director Ada Sokolović shows the life of girls crushing the norms of femininity. It is a story of girls who abandon their dolls for the benefit of their love for football, challenging norms of femininity. Female football club SFK 2000 is for a long time one of the most successful sports teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Girls playing football and results they achieve make them a sports world’s attraction. For 12 years they are country’s champions, with 11 players in Bosnia and Herzegovina A team and the best results. And against all odds, they are little known about.
“It’s my view that gender is culturally formed, but it’s also a domain of agency or freedom and that it is most important to resist the violence that is imposed by ideal gender norms, especially against those who are gender different, who are nonconforming in their gender presentation.”
Judith Butler
Musical spring
21:00h Concert grupe Eloganca
Vocal: Meta Erzenicnik, guitar: Jelena Milojević, project support by JSKD
Meta Erzenicnik – singer, actress, author, moderator and imitator, founder of the musical group Cabaret Band, singer and co-founder of Eloganca band and constant member of drama groups Rdeči Kabaret and Somrak, together with Jelena Milojević, composer, jazz guitarist, multi-instrumentalist are about to provide us with relaxing and fun sounds of jazz.
22:00h Psychos, female DJ duo from Banja Luka (KLUB) .
They say they are Queer |Girls and declare playing music a political and activist act with purpose of uniting the community. Their music and performances are queer, and bands of choice are ones that shaped their identities: Depeche Mode, Easter, The Knife, Miss Kittin, Margita is dead, Röyksopp, Grimes, Robyn, Vitalic, White Ring, Lust for Youth…
23:00h Party – Lepotica i Ajvarche (KLUB)
Milica Lepotica i Ajvarče are Lesbians from Serbia and Macedonia. Milica Lepotica plays music from Riot Grrrl to Iran’s electrical music and do Kambodian rock in addition of bands U pol’ 9 kod Sabe and Plavi podrum and songs of Severina. Ajvarche will make you dance via sounds of pop, disco and oldies!
We celebrate women ready to fight
To hear, speak, react and unite,
To say no and to resist,
We celebrate being strong as a fist,
We are all women by different way,
But we all give importance to this day,
It’s important because we are all there,
We celebrate lesbian power and solidarity we share,
Join us here, come join the fight,
In April we create proud lesbian history, so let’s UNITE!
zoe gudović
“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”
Emma Goldman
Sunday, 19th of April
12.30 – 14:00h Action
14:00– 15:00h Center for Cultural Decontamination: Reading Carne Cosic poem, closing
See you through other seasons.
“Revolution is not one time event”
Audre Lorde