Petrelis Files

Gay Serb Plea:
Photos, Videos Needed of Oct 8 NYC Protest

(Activists from Serbia's gay community, reporters and TV crews at a summer news conference announcing initial steps for October's pride parade. Photo credit: Belgrade Pride Facebook page.)

A key lesbian organizer for the October Gay Pride Parade in Belgrade, a lesbian Serb sent me a plea to make sure we American gays who will stage a protest two-days before the parade, record our protest in photos and videos, and quickly send them to Belgrade.

It is crucial that we document our action, to better help the gay Serbs as they face down extremist threats, and show the Serbian politicians, newspapers and TV stations, and the general population, that American gays stand with our brothers and sisters in Belgrade.

Here is what I need: Volunteers in New York with still and video cameras, to agree to be at the October 8 protest, and then make sure pics and vids are soon thereafter posted to the web and shared with the gay Serbs.

Don't be shy. Step up for one of these important tasks. Or put me in touch with anyone who knows about mobile live streaming. Thanks in advance, for whatever help you can offer now, or in other ways to make the October 8 Serb UN Mission protest a success.

From our lesbian friend in Belgrade:

Thank you for posting this first announcement of the NY protest on October 8th.

Allow me to express our hope for gathering as many of you at Belgrade Pride 2010. It would be of high importance to welcome you here in Belgrade, walking the streets together with us.

However I do understand some are prevented to come due to time shortness and we appreciate very much your effort to raise the voice at Serbian Mission to the UN. Please, keep us posted on your progress. How many people you expect to be able to recruit?

As for the protest itself, I believe you would be able to make your own photos (regardless to those of news agencies), even maybe some short video report?

Bearing in mind the time difference, it would be of great help if you could send the report from the protest by the end of the day (October 8th), to make sure to have it here in Serbia by Saturday morning [late Friday afternoon NYC time], and be able to pass it to local medias in time, just a day before the Pride.

That would certainly raise the attention and awareness of both the Government and society.