According to the available data on social groups that are additionally affected by the negative effects of the coronavirus epidemic, they are Roma, LGBTI people, children, people with disabilities and women, according to social worker Milica Špajak, who is also the program director of LGBT Forum progress.
She believes that this disease, more than a year after the declaration of the pandemic and the beginning of the crisis, has penetrated into every sphere of our lives. Also, that we feel its impact both on physical and mental health, as well as on human rights, the economy, the environment and numerous other areas.
"As a social worker and human rights activist, during the past year I was on the "other" front line, that is, through my work in the civil sector, I had the opportunity to provide support to the LGBTI community and coordinate programs intended for them. Here, above all I am referring to the psychosocial support program implemented by the non-governmental organizations LGBT Forum Progres and LGBTIQ Social Center," said Špajak.
She announced that the data they had obtained was alarming, and that in the period of one year (March 15, 2020 - March 15, 2021), as part of the LGBT Forum Progres, they provided psychological help to 242 users, psychiatric help to 56 user and social for 179 users. In parallel, psychosocial support was provided to 272 beneficiaries.
"In certain months of the Covid-19 crisis, above all during the first and second "lockdowns", an increase in the number of users of certain services was recorded by as much as 500 percent compared to previous years, while at the same time an increase in the number of cases of hatred, discrimination and of violence, so in this same period, LGBT Forum Progres provided legal aid and support for 105 users," Špajak stated in her statement.
She emphasized that they are not satisfied with the way the system responded to the needs and problems of LGBTI people, i.e. that there was almost no adequate answer.
"With a full understanding of the difficult socio-economic situation in which Montenegro found itself, I appreciate that there was still room to recognize the needs of the LGBTI community and listen to the requests of non-governmental organizations, and provide adequate support," she believes.
Špajak claims that at one point they were prevented from submitting reports for hate speech on the Internet, of which more than 300 were submitted last year, according to him.
"Of course, the LGBTI community is not the only one that has been affected in this way by the Covid-19 crisis - we have seen a worrying increase in violence against women and domestic violence, additional stigmatization of the Roma community, deterioration of living conditions for the elderly and the disabled, an increase in poverty... All this it clearly says that the system in Montenegro was insufficiently prepared for this crisis and that it still cannot "extricate itself" from such a position. On the other hand, all the examples of solidarity and support among the citizens of Montenegro, which we need, are encouraging more," she believes.
Špajak pointed out that the degree of neglect of any social group, as is the case with the LGBTI community, can only harm the overall efforts of the state and society to recover from the consequences of the pandemic and get out of this crisis.
He believes that it is difficult to recover if physical and mental health, socio-economic well-being and the protection of everyone in society are not put in the foreground.
"The Montenegrin public should be aware of the reality in which LGBTI people live in Montenegro today and see that this reality is not much different from the rest of society. The main difference is a significantly greater amount of hatred, violence, discrimination and, quite often, poverty that affects the LGBTI community every day," said Špajak.
She stated that she is concerned that this trend is not decreasing, but that more and more LGBTI people are appearing every day who need the programs and services provided by the LGBT Forum Progres and the LGBTIQ Social Center, "and for which there is no significant support from the institutions of the system , now when it is most needed"
"Finally, I want to say to all LGBTI people in Montenegro that our doors are always open and that we will direct all our capacities to continue unhindered providing psychosocial and legal support to whoever needs it, until we overcome this crisis together. You can always call 068 180 982, via Facebook i Instagram platforms, as well as to mail podrska@lgbtprogres.me", she said.
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