Skip to main content

Sisterhood Beyond Borders: Transnational Aspects of Post-Yugoslav Lesbian Activism

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Lesbian Activism in the (Post-)Yugoslav Space

Abstract

This chapter positions lesbian activism in the post-Yugoslav space, with a particular focus on Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the context of profound geo-political reconfigurations since the 1990s. Drawing upon various empirical sources, including documentary material and interviews with activists from local and international feminist, LGBT, and queer organisations, the chapter intertwines the author’s autoethnographic narrative with discussions of transnational dynamics involving lesbian activism in the Yugoslav region. Against a backdrop of trends related to international intervention and cooperation, globalisation and Europeanisation, special attention is paid to instances of grassroots regional and international cooperation, and namely to the “Lesbian Week” festivals and cooperation with Italian activists in this context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bilić, B. (2012). We were gasping for air: (Post-)Yugoslav anti-war activism and its legacy. Baden-Baden: Nomos.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bilić, B. (2016a). Europeanisation, LGBT activism, and non-heteronormativity in the post-Yugoslav space: An introduction. In B. Bilić (Ed.), LGBT activism and Europeanisation in the post-Yugoslav space: On the rainbow way to Europe (pp. 1–22). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bilić, B. (2016b). Whose pride? LGBT ‘community’ and the organisation of pride parades in Serbia. In K. Slootmaeckers, H. Touquet, & P. Vermeersch (Eds.), The EU enlargement and gay politics: The impact of Eastern enlargement on rights, activism and prejudice (pp. 203–220). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bilić, B., & Dioli, I. (2016). Queer Beograd collective: Beyond single-issue activism in Serbia and the post-Yugoslav space. In B. Bilić & S. Kajinić (Eds.), Intersectionality and LGBT activist politics: Multiple others in Croatia and Serbia (pp. 105–126). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bringa, T. (2004). The peaceful death of Tito and the violent end of Yugoslavia. In J. Bornemann (Ed.), Death of the Father (pp. 148–200). Oxford and New York: Berghahn.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterfield, N. (2016). Discontents of professionalisation: Sexual politics and activism in Croatia in the context of EU accession. In B. Bilić (Ed.), LGBT activism and Europeanisation in the post-Yugoslav space: On the rainbow way to Europe (pp. 23–58). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Churchill, D. S. (2008). Transnationalism and homophile political culture in the postwar decades. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 15(1), 31–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciavarella, A., & Pramstrahler, A. (1997). Settimana lesbica nella Ex-Jugoslavia. Towanda!, 3, 10–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crenshaw, K. W. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, special issue: Feminism in the Law: Theory, Practice and Criticism, 139–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Čolović, I. (2002). The politics of symbol in Serbia. Essays in political anthropology. London: Hurst & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deacon, B., & Stubbs, P. (Eds.). (2007). Social policy and international interventions in South East Europe. Chelthenam: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dioli, I. (2009a). A ghost still wanders Europe: Interview with Svetlana Đurković. Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/All-the-news/A-ghost-still-wanders-Europe-46681.

  • Dioli, I. (2009b). Back to a nostalgic future: The Queeroslav utopia. Sextures, 1, 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greif, T. (2004). Do lesbian women have human rights? In Đ. Knežević (Ed.), Women and politics: Sexuality between the local and the global (pp. 234–247). Zagreb: Ženska Infoteka.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosi Wien, Auslandsgruppe. (1984). Rosa Liebe unterm roten Stern: Zur Lageder Lesben und Schwulen in Osteuropa. Hamburg: Frulings Erwachen.

    Google Scholar 

  • IGHLRC. (1995). Report on lesbians in Yugoslavia. In R. Rosenbloom (Ed.), United Nations: Unspoken rules—Sexual orientation and women’s human rights. Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from www.qrd.org/qrd/world/europe/serbia/lesbians.in.yugoslavia-report.

  • Iveković, R. (1996). Le pouvoir nationaliste et les femmes. Bologna: Europe and the Balkans International Network & Ravenna: Longo Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iveković, R., & Mostov, J. (Eds.). (2002). From gender to nation. Ravenna: Longo Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaldor, M. (1999). The ideas of 1989: The origins of the concept of global civil society. Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, 9, 475–488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kosova Women’s Network. (2009). Monitoring implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in Kosova. Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from www.womensnetwork.org/documents/20130120165508427.pdf.

  • Labris. (2015). Izašle smo: Četvrta lezbejska nedelja 2011. Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from http://arhiv2015sr.labris.org.rs/izasle-smo-cetvrta-lezbejska-nedelja-2011/.

  • Labris. (2017). Naša mreža, naša snaga: Treća lezbejska nedelja 2004. Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from www.labris.org.rs/sr/na%C5%A1a-mre%C5%BEa-na%C5%A1a-snaga-tre%C4%87a-lezbejska-nedelja-2004.

  • Labrys, J. (1998). Istorija lezbijskog pokreta u Srbiji. In M. Blagojević (Ed.), Ka vidljivoj ženskoj liniji: Ženski pokret u Beogradu 90-ih (pp. 255–268). Belgrade: Centar za ženske studije, istraživanja i komunikaciju.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, R. K. (2004). Politicizing sexuality: An investigation of LGBT rights and the NGO sector in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Independent study project for the School for International Training—Gender, Transformation and Civil Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mertus, J. (2007). The rejection of human rights framings: The case of LGBT advocacy in the US. Human Rights Quarterly, 29(4), 1036–1064.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mlađenović, L. (1998). Razlike prevazilaze granice. Feminističke sveske (11–12). Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from www.womenngo.org.rs/publikacije-azc/femsveske/FS_S11/BOLONJA.htm.

  • Mlađenović, L. (2012). Notes of a feminist lesbian in anti-war initiatives. In B. Bilić & V. Janković (Eds.), Resisting the evil: (Post-)Yugoslav anti-war contention (pp. 127–136). Baden-Baden: Nomos.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Naumović, S. (1999). Instrumentalised tradition: Traditionalist rhetoric, nationalism and political transition in Serbia, 1987–1990. In M. Jovanović, K. Kaser, & S. Naumović (Eds.), Between the archives and the field: A dialogue on historical anthropology of the Balkans (pp. 179–218). Graz: Institut für Geschichte der Universität Graz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, J. (2012). Joan Nestle & lesbians in Belgrade 4—You are the archives of the future. Retrieved on January 26, 2018, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUqHQiCgOQI.

  • Štulhofer, A., & Sandfort, T. (Eds.). (2005). Sexuality and gender in postcommunist Eastern Europe and Russia. New York: The Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todosijević, J. (1994). Eastern European Lesbian networking. Retrieved on January 2, 2018, from www.qrd.org/qrd/world/europe/eastern.european.lesbian.networking.

  • Von Känel, M. (2017). History of lesbian movement in Europe. Retrieved on January 26, 2018, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTzcOOoHFPU.

  • Vučaj, S. (2009). Treći glas: Coming out i lezbejke u Srbiji. Belgrade: Labris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Žarkov, D. (2007). The body of war: Media, ethnicity and gender in the break-up of Yugoslavia. Durham and London: Duke University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dioli, I. (2019). Sisterhood Beyond Borders: Transnational Aspects of Post-Yugoslav Lesbian Activism. In: Bilić, B., Radoman, M. (eds) Lesbian Activism in the (Post-)Yugoslav Space . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77754-2_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77754-2_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77753-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77754-2

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics