Sladjan Tomić
BBC contributing journalist
Reporting from Sarajevo
"I could never be in a gay marriage in Bosnia. That's why I left," is how Nera Mešinović, who has been living in Sweden for six years, begins her story for the BBC in Serbian.
When they met at the Merlinka queer festival in Sarajevo almost eight years ago, Nera knew she had found the love of her life. She admits that, accustomed to the exclusion of queer people, she had given up on the future from the start.
"I told her right away that I didn't want marriage or children," says Nera.
She lied to herself.
Over time, she realized that rejecting the idea of marriage was not her desire, but a reality she was forced into.
"The resistance to that idea came as a defense against the reality that I wouldn't be able to visit my sick partner in the hospital, take out a loan, inherit what we were building together," Nera remembers.
"Imagine how much this limits our imagination of a happy love in practice."
When she realized that she still wanted to get married, she knew that it was not possible in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where this right is regulated by the family laws of two entities: the Federation of BiH and the Republika Srpska.
"In order to be able to live in marriage with my partner and actually exercise all these rights, I had to move out of BiH."
For love without obstacles, she had to leave. With tears, pain, and a sense of discrimination.
"I had to leave my home and the entire life I had built over the years."
'Love is the law'
Legal equality of same-sex partners is the key demand, and also the slogan, of this year's, sixth, Bosnian Pride parade.
This year's slogan "Love is the Law" sends a dual message: love must be protected by the law, but it is also stronger than the law, say the organizers.
"We see social progress, but when it comes to institutions, we are still invisible. The demands are the same for the sixth year in a row, but none of them have been met. This has to change," said Jelena Kravljača, a member of the Pride Parade Organizing Committee, in a statement to the BBC in Serbian.
He reminds that the Republika Srpska has removed the term gender identity from the Criminal Code.
"This is the response of institutions that they will not protect people with different gender identities," warns Kravljača.
He is pleased with the recent formation of a working group within the Federation Government whose task is to draft a special law recognizing the right of same-sex partners to live together.
"We hope that this step will lead to the adoption of legislation and that the same will happen in Republika Srpska. Our fight and protest are actually an appeal for equality."
Zlatan Musić has been at almost every parade so far, and in a statement to the BBC in Serbian, he reminded that BiH is a signatory to numerous international conventions, so it is its obligation to eliminate discrimination.
"Same-sex communities deserve legal recognition, dignity and protection. There is no reasonable argument why this has not happened yet – the only thing missing is political will and genuine respect for human rights," says Music.
The procession was supported by numerous local artists, mostly actors.
Support for Bosnian Pride was also provided by several politicians, led by Minister in the Council of Ministers of BiH, Edin Fort.
The only country in the region where same-sex partners have the right to marry is Montenegro.
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- The first LGBT safe house in Bosnia and Herzegovina: When hope replaces fear
- Invisibility, violence, fear, but also struggle and courage - the life of the LGBT community in Bosnia
- This is the year of the first Bosnian Pride
Bonus video:
