The LGBTIQ Social Center, in the SOGI cafe, hosted Marina Vujačić, executive director of the Support of Youth with Handicap in Montenegro.
It's Vujacic introduced the audience to her life story and experience as a person with disabilities, and spoke about the parallels between different discriminated groups.
Special emphasis is placed on the notion of discrimination and the manifestation of this social phenomenon towards different subjects, whether the subject of discrimination is a person with a disability, an LGBT person or any other member of a minority group. In that part, Vujacic emphasized that those who are visibly different are the most discriminated against.
Discrimination between different minority groups was also discussed at the event, which turned out to be particularly interesting. The conclusion of the discussion on that topic is that minority groups really do not have enough knowledge about each other and that internal mutual discrimination also occurs as a result of insufficient information.
Through further discussion with members of the community, numerous similarities and parallels between persons with disabilities and LGBT persons were identified.
The similarities are most visible in the domain of the marginalization of these groups in the family and the wider environment, the placing of persons with disabilities and LGBT persons in a devalued position, the sense of shame that families and the immediate environment often feel towards members of these groups, the refutation of the value of these persons that continues throughout life.
Parallels are also drawn when it comes to relationships with partners, the "ability" of people with disabilities and LGBT people to raise children...
The lecture ended with a message of self-acceptance, because, as it was said, only by self-acceptance and freedom from the pressures, expectations and judgments of the narrow or wider environment can we come to the realization that each of us is free in our diversity, that there is no such thing as perfection, and that only by accepting oneself in all one's diversity one can come to freedom.
The LGBTIQ Social Center operates under the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and represents the only public cultural and social center of the Montenegrin LGBT community.
Bonus video:
