For us, organizing Pride Week in Kosovo does not just mean a celebration: Pride Week, since its historic first edition, maps out all those individuals who advocate every day for equality, for inclusiveness, to breathe and to be themselves in a place where breathing is not easy for anyone.
Pride Week in Kosovo is a manifestation of ourselves, our culture, our personalities. Pride Week in Kosovo is a form of displaying our identities that for years and years have been oppressed and have remained in the shadows, never being in their habitat. Pride Week in Kosovo, even in this eighth edition, does not forget to be the main passport for LGBTIQ+ individuals in Kosovo.
This time, we are focusing our eyes and ears especially on the fact that, despite the general perception, we have always been here, just as we will continue to be. The acronyms for us are not just letters, they represent people who carry with them minds, substance, intellect, activism, desires, and dreams.
The slogan ‘We were and will always be’ is so vague to describe our feeling of pride, for who we are and where we will go, where we will rise. Our existence is in our daily parade, our presence in a place where colors are often hindered. By respecting our past, we want to look to the future. Silence has been our mechanism for so long, but not anymore. Amid challenges and difficulties, our spirits have remained empowered. See you at Pride Week, which this year is also built with a program that aims to show everyone: we were and will always be. Despite everything