Sarajevo Open Centre and Internews have organized sixth info session for journalists in Sarajevo on LGBT topics. The goal of these sessions is providing  information related to the rights of LGBT persons, as well as to introduce correct terminology to the journalists and achieving professional and ethical media reporting.

The results of the research on the problems of LGBT persons in BiH was the topic of this info session.

During 8 sessions, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to guests, from region and BiH, who are dealing with LGBT topics through theory, practice and activism. The first info session was dedicated to the reporting on LGBT topics and correct terminology; the second one was about International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, while the third was on the topic of the (lack of) representation of lesbian identities in media. The state of the human rights of LGBT persons in BiH in 2012 was also presented on one of the info sessions, as well as pride parades and media reporting related to pride parades.

On today’s sixth info session, Jasmina Čaušević, author of the Number of Life and Coordinator at Sarajevo Open Centre presented the results of the LGBT needs assessment, problems they’re facing and their social needs, and concrete activities of Sarajevo Open Centre. 545 persons, aged 15-54 godina, have answered questions from different areas of life – which persons in their surroundings know about their LGBT identities and are they supportive of them, have they been discriminated of victims of violence and how they reacted to such violations of their human rights, how did the society and the legal system react, what do they think about pride parade and do they have trust in the law enforcement, is their physical health endangered because of the fear and homophobia they are subjected to because of their sexuality or gender expression, and how medics treat them.

On today’s sixth info session, through answers on journalists’ questions, concrete data on LGBT persons’ trust in institutions (police, health care,…) and opinons on organisation of Pride parade in BiH was presented.

Lejla Huremović, Programme Coordinator in Sarajevo Open Centre reminded the journalists  of the Sarajevo Open Centre and Internews’ Call for professional and ethical reporting on LGBT persons and topics in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is open for all journalists of printed, electronic and online media from Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose texts affirm and promote professional and ethical media reporting on LGBT persons and topics in Bosnia and Herzegovina and result in advance in the reporting practices.