A gift from Lepa--her blooms

[my computer failed-I continue Lepa's letter of Ocober 5, 2008)

Bosnian mountains, and then it meant we were stuck for two more hours, so we travelled 7+2=9 hours to Sarajevo. ok. We arrived there to see that all the bus and tram stops in town are filled with huge posters against homosexuals as devils of this society! Just like Jews in 1941 in this same town! ah!!! I wanted to tear them done but they stuck the walls, impossible. They had done their work seriously.

...The next day, I entered the local bus to go to the first Q opening event, young boys were shouting at the back of the bus, and I was frightened again. In that moment I found your words in my pocket. The young shouting boys left at another bus stop, and I was so fixed to the idea they were going to the same event as me to beat us up, that I could not believe that they were not!

I am writing it all to you because the mechanisms of fear are incredible, you work on them days, monthys, you work on them for years and still they pop from your fragile body, the threats are so effective.

The rest you know generally. The opening of the Srajevo Queer Festival was a success!! around 300 people came and this was the first time in history that such an event happened!! These 300 were generally young and alternative, artists, etc, most of them hetero supporters. All of us LGBT guests were well organized ot leave that place that was surrounded by 150 fascists (half soccer fans, half religious fanatics ready to beat us up) so we went by the back door and took taxies. But obviously it was not like that for ordinary citizens--10 were injured.

...The four lesbian organizers were all totally exhausted, they had not slept for three days--and many more things afterward, first of all many threatening letters after the event, then they had to move out of the flat where the office was, then 2 of them had to leave the flat where they lived...3 of them are worried for their mothers who are worried for them! 3 mothers are worrying day and night.

Generally I think the situation is calming a little bit now. They have some support--but who undertands lesbians and queers--other then ourselves?

Through my friend's words, through her "ah!" I hear our history being made, our history living its connections to other wars, to other shunnings, to other bodies. Those so tired young women, threatened in so many ways, are a part of all of us now--whatever safeties we have, their fear must be our concern.