Petrelis Files

SF Mayor Signs Supervisor's Resolution
for Gay Serbian March on 10/10/10

The Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, today signed a resolution introduced by Board of Supervisor member Bevan Dufty, that passed unanimously at Tuesday's weekly board meeting, and they again make me proud of my city's deep commitment and activism on behalf of global gay solidarity.

Special thanks to Bevan, for rapidly moving on my request for the statement. I extend laurels and kudos to the Mayor, all of the Supervisors, and the City Hal staffers who made the resolution a reality, and who stand with gay Serbians.

A reminder. On Friday, October 9 at noon, Gays Without Borders holds a press conference at the Serbian Mission to the United Nations, located on 5th Avenue near E. 67th Street. We will present the Serbian Ambassador the UN with a solidarity letter signed by many important gay leaders, community activists and politicians. Please join us.

Below is the image of the Mayor's signature on the resolution, making it official city policy, then the text of the statement:

Resolution No. 438-10
ADOPTED: Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco

Resolution supporting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) marchers and their supporters as they peacefully exercise their human right to be visible in the streets, free from violence and fear, during the Gay Pride Parade in Belgrade, Serbia on October, 10, 2010.

WHEREAS, The Gay Pride Parade on October, 10, 2010, in Belgrade, Serbia will be the first gay rights march in Belgrade since 2001, when anti-gay extremists attacked the participants and forced the event’s cancellation; and

WHEREAS, A parade was planned for 2009 but was called off hours before it began because bodily harm was threatened against the participants; and

WHEREAS, A survey by the Youth Initiatives for Human Rights indicated that Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgender persons experienced widespread discrimination, threats, hate speech, verbal assault, and physical violence in Serbia; and

WHEREAS, Serbia’s Gay community has received violent threats when it announced plans for the October 10, 2010 parade; and

WHEREAS, Serbian Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic has made a public commitment to protect the safety of the marchers on October 10, 2010, and Serbian police have pledged to protect the Belgrade Gay Pride Parade; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors supports the LGBT marchers and their supporters as they peacefully exercise their human right to be visible in the streets, free from violence and fear, during the Gay Pride Parade in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 10, 2010; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall transmit copies of this resolution to Serbian Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic, Serbian Ambassador to the United Nations Feodor Starcevic, Serbian Ambassador to the United States H. E. Vladimir Petrovic, Serbian Consul General in Chicago Desko Nikitovic, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, United States Ambassador to Serbia Mary Burce Warlick, and Belgrade Pride Organizers Lazar Pavlovic, Boban Stojanovic, and Adorjan Kurucz.