Organized by the Skopje Queer Center, a roundtable discussion on the topic “Systematic Addressing of Discrimination and Hate Speech Against LGBTI+ People” took place on Friday, December 23, at the Solun Hotel in Skopje.
The roundtable aimed to provide a space for discussion on the current challenges and issues in systematically addressing discrimination and hate speech against LGBTI+ people identified by relevant state institutions, civil organizations, and members of the sexual and gender minority community.
During the event, findings from the center’s work related to submitted complaints of discrimination and criminal reports of hate speech against LGBTI+ individuals in North Macedonia were presented.
According to the findings of the Skopje Queer Center, LGBTI+ individuals in North Macedonia are significantly affected by discrimination.
From May 2021 to September 2022, the Commission for the Prevention and Protection against Discrimination identified 26 cases of discrimination and instructions for discrimination that involved invoking, promoting, and spreading discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In contrast to the Commission for the Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, law enforcement authorities such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs fail to recognize discrimination and hate speech directed at LGBTI+ community members.
From May 2021 to September 2022, the Skopje Queer Center submitted 64 criminal reports to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and 16 to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Five criminal reports were rejected by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and for 20 criminal reports, notifications were received stating that there is no place for public prosecution. There has been no response from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for any of the submitted criminal reports.
“This tradition of impunity for hate speech only normalizes, fuels, and encourages such criminal behavior. Our goal is to test and stimulate the responsible institutions of the system through complaints and criminal reports to protect LGBTI+ citizens who are victims of discrimination and hate crimes. The state’s responsibility is to demonstrate determination and send a clear and unambiguous message that such phenomena are unacceptable and have no place in a modern and democratic society composed of diversity. This can be most effectively achieved by establishing a practice of appropriately sanctioning the perpetrators of these acts,” said Martin Tasevski, legal advisor at the Skopje Queer Center.
“The effects of prolonged discrimination and continuous exposure to hate speech and violence against this vulnerable and marginalized group have far-reaching, and sometimes tragic, consequences for the mental and physical health of LGBTI+ individuals. The competent authorities should know better and without delay should take all available measures and concrete actions to protect the well-being of these fellow citizens. It is important not to forget that laws are not carved in stone but serve to meet the needs of citizens in a society. Since this society must stop treating LGBTI+ people as invisible, it must adapt the laws regarding the needs of this group of citizens, who contribute to the system equally with others but do not enjoy the same rights,” added David Tasevski, executive director of the Skopje Queer Center and psychologist.
The discussion is expected to lead to appropriate recommendations and conclusions related to improving protection and realizing the right to equal treatment and nondiscrimination for LGBTI+ people, as well as the need for explicit regulation of hate speech based on sexual orientation and gender identity in North Macedonia.
Representatives from the Commission for the Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, the Parliament of North Macedonia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia, and others, as well as civil organizations representing sexual and gender minorities, participated in the roundtable.
The event was organized within the project “Promotion of Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Local Level with Support for Victims of Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” with financial support from the Municipality of Karposh, related to the program activity “Promotion and Improvement of Equality and Prevention of Discrimination” of the Municipality of Karposh in the field of equal opportunities between women and men for 2022.
