Personal Experience from Croatia

The first ever Pride Parade in Split, Croatia was attacked by more than 10,000 right-wing extremists who threw rocks, bottles and firecrackers at the parade participants numbering around 300. Tonči was one of the participants and reports.

This year we had the first ever LGBTQ Pride in Split. This was also the first time ever that the LBGTQ community acted in a visible way in the 1700 years old city. For a conservative society deeply influenced by the Catholic Church Pride was a huge shock. And the population reacted that way. Before Pride the city was covered with numerous anti-gay and anti-gay pride graffiti. No one cared to condemn or remove them. Even today, a week after Pride, they are still standing on city facades.

On the Pride day, the city was under siege by the police; even a helicopter was flying above us. The parade started happily and quietly; at the fist stage of the route encountering some approval as well as some hate speech from the citizens. But reaching the final destination, a stage in the middle of the city promenade, the parade encountered hordes of young and old filled with rage. A narrow corridor provided by the police was the only way for the participants to reach the stage. There they had to face hateful chants and Nazi salutes and even tear gas, stones, ashtrays, bottles, firecrackers, dirt and plants. Some were injured and others deeply disturbed. Later it was estimated that there were over 10,000 protesters.

Facing such hate and anger left a deep trauma to many participants of the parade with which they have to live nowadays. But there is also another side to this Pride, which filled me with positive feelings of happiness, and pride. Arriving that day at the meeting point I recognised many friends and acquaintances from old times: from elementary school, high school and university up to the present. Most of them are straight but they have recognised the importance of this event, as a fight for human rights in general and support for their LGBTQ friends in particular. They marched in the parade, were attacked and celebrated with us at the end. We were not alone there.

As an individual, my social identity is determined on differentiation and assimilation to certain groups, movements, acts and ideas. The clash of two opposite sides that happened during Split Pride further helped me to firmly place myself on one side and to reinforce the idea who I am. Thanks to all friends and familiar faces participating in Pride I now feel stronger, knowing that I am not alone in my determination to change things for better.

by Tonči from Split, Croatia