«Violence against LGBTTIQ Population» Research

Monday, 20 March 2006 21:07

Two thirds of interviewees has experienced violence for being sexually oriented differently from the heterosexuals, the research “Violence against LGBTTIQ Population” presented on the press conference on March 9th 2006 in TANJUG Press Centre, and under Labris – lesbian human rights organization coordination. Furthermore, almost 90% of interviewees are aware of the violence occurrences for the sole reason of persons’ different sexual orientation than heterosexual.

Speakers at the conference included: Lepa Mladjenovic – Labris president, and expert research commentators on the research findings: Isidora Jaric – Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, Goran Miletic – legal advisor with the Swedish Helsinki Human Rights Committee and Dusica Popadic – Incest Trauma Centre director.  

Lepa Mladjenovic presented the research findings which indicate the highest percentage of interviewees, 25.9%, experienced violence from the individuals they were acquainted with; 42.9% of interviewees experienced violence on more than one occasion. Yet, the present at the conference agreed that the percentage of individuals experiencing violence is certainly higher, since not all individuals have come out, as well as that it is oftentimes difficult to recognize violence and on many occasions there is an individual resistance in accepting oneself as a victim.

“The most important consequence following this research is the fact that homophobic violence exists and that we, as a society, need to face it”, stressed Isidora Jaric, concluding that obtained research data are very disturbing.

Goran Miletic said that the state we live in is obliged to protect its citizens of both sexes from torture and is bound by the ratified international documents, but that the implementation of these is missing – as it was the case during the Pride Parade in Belgrade 2001.

“Those that are dealing with suicides in psychology and psychiatry are aware that the most vulnerable population in such instances gay adolescents and it can be concluded out of this research as well”, said Dusica Popadic.

Dragana Vuckovic

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