Category Archives: Belgrade, Serbia

Predrag, Editor and Chief, Belgrade, Serbia

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Predrag, in his own words: “I have, maybe a conservative definition of being gay – having emotional and sexual feelings towards men.

But queer is something totally different. Queer would be everything that is violating the heteronormative standards and gender roles, from sexual behavior, clothing, acting…

My father died when I was young (14), and after a while the war started, and we lost the head of the family and food provider. It was on to me to be the next head of the family, without any money. It was a very tough times. But that made me the man I’m today, responsible, independent and a fighter.

I’m a editor of the only gay magazine in the region, “Optimist”, director and selector of a multinational queer film festival “Merlinka”, I’m in a serious relationship for six years, I think I can be happy with that.

I never came out in that standard way. I never told people, I’m gay. I only started acting as a gay person. I started talking about boys that I liked with my girlfriends, and after a while everybody knew. In that time we didn’t use the word gay, and I wouldn’t use a word like fag to describe myself. That was in high school and I didn’t have any problems, because I was best friends with popular girls, and they protected me.

Many would say that the gay community in Serbia is non existent, but that’s not true. We have a small gay community, but mainly focused on partying and having sex, of course discrete sex. Many ignore activist events and because of that our community is weak. We need more out, brave people.

(Advice I’d give my younger self) Have more sex, don’t be a prude, be a slut!”

Boban and Adam, Belgrade, Serbia

photo by Kevin Truong

Boban (left) and Adam (right) photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Boban, in his own words: “(Being gay means) the ability to perceive the world from the perspective of the unprivileged and make your life as best as possible.

Although I think that the fight for human rights are some of the largest (challenges), I realized that the fight for our own happiness is an even bigger fight. I’m happy because I’m happy: I live how I want, do what I want, love whom I love and it’s the greatest thing I could do for myself.

Generally I don’t have (a coming out story), I never hid that to my friends. If we talk about coming out in front of my family, it was when my parents saw me on television at the Pride Parade in Zagreb. My mother called, said she always knew, concluded that I was sleeping with all my male friends, she would get cancer and behold ten years ago we haven’t been in touch.

I always maintain that the gay community in Serbia and east Europe does not exist. Community implies recognition of a common history and a desire to us as a community to be better. It includes support and action, but that in this part of Europe is almost nonexistent.

(Advice to my younger self) Things what you dream can be said in words. And if there are words, it means to dream what is realistic.”

Adam, in his own words: “(Being gay) is a complex question. Labels come from outside. I am everything that I am.

My greatest success is that I live my life the way I want.

I always knew I was different. I remember when I was little, adults always asked: When are you going to marry? I have always been puzzled and said: But my girls are not interesting. I think nobody realized that I was gay.

(The gay community in Serbia is) the group of terrified people are afraid to come out into the street and fight for their rights.

(Advice to my younger self) be persistent and keep right.”