This is a letter that Mr. Genci Xhelaj (at that time president of Society Gay Albania) sent to the organizations around the world in the August of year 1994. I want to thank him so much for giving the permission to publish all this…You can see his picture in the two links below when he recived a very important price Felipa de Souza Awards  1997 Awardees in year 1997.

Picture 1

Picture 2

The Society Gay Albania

I imagine you have heard of Albania, that wild, hospitable and yet somewhat enigmatic land. Lord Byron praised its beauty, Edward Lear painted it and Edith Durham wrote of itin her travels. Many foreigners have been fascinated by different features of Albania. I would like to speak of one aspect no one has written about yet, that of Albanian homosexuals who have taken a great step forwards recently, perhaps the greatest step in their history.

After much hesitation, I decided, last winter, to write an interview for the Albanian press and speak about myself, my friends and lovers, and about homosexuality in developed countries. The interview was published in the newspaper Playboy in Tirana in March 1994. We were ecstatic although there were very negative reactions. It was the first time that the Albanian press dared published anything about homosexuality, still illegal in the country. A German came to meet me after the publication and called the article ”historic”. He suggested that we continue and organize a group to defend the rights of Albanan gays. On 29 March 1994, about ten gays assembled secretly and formed the first gay group in Albanian history, the Shoqata Gay Albania (Society Gay Albania).

The main objectives of the group we defined as follows:

1)      To support the interets of Albanian homosexuals (male and female) and to fight for full equality and integration in Albanian societ.

2)      To spread positive and more objective information about the homosexuals community and to fight prejudice, fanaticism, ignorance and hatred.

3)      To support the fight against the spread of AIDS.

We realized that we had a lot of work in front of us. We first spread word of the existence of the group among Albanian gays. Some of them joined us while the most distanced themselves out of fear. We hesitated, but then resolved to continue. In the spring of 1994 we recived an invitation to attend an AIDS conference in Budapest. It was the first time that we presented our group in public and it was a great experience for us. The meeting very much strengthened our resolve and we got back to Tirana, we distributed a news bulletin about the existence of our gay group to all Albanian newspapers as well as to radio and television. The reaction was overwhelming. Everyone in the capital was suddenly discussing the topic and there were the wildest reactions. The newspaper Dita Informacion published an article about the existence of an Albaniana neo-nazi group created to attack us. The newspaper  Gazeta Shqiptare called our news a ”courageous step”, in particular in view of existing legislation.

The legal situation: Yes, the law still exists. Homosexuality is punishable by prison. It was Enver Hoxha who during his long dictatorship organized and promoted persecution, indeed the extermination of Albanian homosexuals. No one was spared, neither artists and writers nor simple people. There are dozens of known cases of homosexuals having been imprisoned and left to their fate during the fifty years of Stalinist dictatorship. Dozens of others commited suicide because they couldn’t stand the discrimination, violence and shame. How did this discrimination and hatred of homosexual come about under the dictatorship, creating a public opinion which compared homosexuals to crazed criminals? Much evidence now points to the fact the dictator himself was homosexual.

The law still exists in Albania and condemns homosexuals up to 10 years of imprisonment (Article 137). The proposed new penal code of summer 1994 foresees punishment by fine  and up to 3 years in prison (Section VII 114). This draft of the penal code, prepared by the ruling Democratic Party and soon to be discussed in Parliament, galvanized our group into action. We sent fifteen members of the Democratic Party two strongly worded protests, appealing for the passage to be rescinded. We also requested help from ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) and other international organizations. ILGA sent a letter of protest to the Albanian president (at that time Sali Berisha) and to other high government figures. Protests from other countries arrived too. In June 1994, Scott Long representing ILGA, arrived in Tirana and after discussions with us, held talks with leading parlamentarians who then promised that the proposed passage would be withdrawn and that there would be no more discriminatory legislation against homosexuals.

Our group is still exercising its activities illegaly. Once the anti-gay legislation is removed we will need to be officially recognized by the government authorities in order to continue our work normally. This will be the next step.

The AIDS problem is one which occupies much of our time, in particular since among the first positive Albanians are two homosexuals (the real number is probably much higher). We are working in close cooperation with OSPES, the student organisation for sexual education and with Action Plus, a humanitarian organization active in the fight against AIDS. They help us with translations, printing, free condoms etc. We are now preparing two brochures to tell Albanian homosexual of the danger of AIDS and how to protect themselves. These brochures will be printed by Doris Frank of the Action Plus organisation in Switzerland. We have also arranged for homosexuals who have no pemanent partner or who engage in prostitution to be tested free of charge at an AIDS laboratory.

Being homosexual in Albania is an acute drama, both for the individual involved and for his or her family and society. Common reactions range from surprise and disgust to maltretment, but mostly just silence. The present situation of our mebers (about 60 individuals) can only be described as extremely dificult. Almost all of us live with our families and are dependent on them in one way or another. It is virtually impossible to live alone because of the housing situation in the country. Most of us are unemployed and without any income or social assistance. Many are forced into questionable activities in order to survive. Employers react very negatively towards homosexuals in view of public opinion, so most of our members hide their homosexuality from the public.

Our group is endeavouring to sensitize public opinion with articles in the press, at least in those newspapers willing to publish on the subject. Up to now, there are no Albanian publications specifically for lesbians and gays. In view of this tremendous lack, we are hoping to find support from gay and lesbian organizations abroad who could help up materially or financially in publishing a gay news letter or magazine.

If we manage to find support, we could like to open a bar or café and use the profits to support the organization and to finance such a locale where gays could meet. There are no gay bars or meeting places in Albania as yet. Also very important would be a gay ”old people’s home” since many elderly gays live alone in abject of poverty. We would also use profits to support people with AIDS so that they can live in human conditions.

We have many ambitious plans and are optimistic about the future because we know that we have friends and supporters everywhere who will understand and assist us.

Dear friends, we send you our love. We already have some English-speaking friends here in Albania who are using their experience to assist us in overcoming the many problems we are facing. We thank them and you, and are looking forward to cooperation.

Our postal address is:

S.G.A

P.O Box 104

Tirana,Albania

(and the document includes the signature of Mr. Genci Xhelaj click here to see it)