Sarajevo Open Centre has been working on strengthening LGBTIQ people in BiH for years, providing legal and psychosocial support, as well as organizing a large number of workshops, seminars, training and socializing events.

Through our work with LGBTIQ people, we realized that one of the key problems that LGBTIQ people face is the lack of support and misunderstanding in within their closest family members. That is why last year, we decided to expand our activities and open our space for the families. For the start, we aim, in the relaxed atmosphere, to socialize with parents, and siblings who already provide support to their LGBTIQ children / siblings. As it is important for LGBTIQ people to get to know each other and thus strengthen each other, it is also important that parents, brothers and sisters who have a LGBTIQ family member, exchange experiences and strengthen each other.

Last year we organized a barbecue with families, where three mothers joined us. They showed the necessity of getting to know each other and sharing their experiences. During the previous period, we also conducted a series of interviews called When Family is Speaking, which you can find on lgbti.ba. Also, during the previous year, we had more contact with parents who expressed their desire to come to our premises and get more information about LGBTIQ identities and help for their children who outed themselves.

This way, we encourage all LGBTIQ people who have not outed themselves to their parents and have the desire to meet other LGBTIQ persons and their parents to join us, because only together we can work on mutual strengthening and better understanding.

Therefore, we invite all mothers, dads, sisters, brothers and LGBTIQ persons to come to relax on Saturday 11 May at 15h for a relaxed gather up meeting with barbecue. Please confirm your presence by sending an e-mail to [email protected], and due to notion of providing a safe space for all of our social gathering sites, you will receive a location information after you contact us.

For people who are not from Sarajevo but want to join us, we have provided coverage for travel and accommodation. Please emphasize this in the mail.

We are looking forward to meeting you.

See you!