Croatian LesBiGays on Internet 
Croatian LesBiGays on Internet
A man who was relieved of duty from the Croatian Army because he told his superior he was gay is now being recalled for active service after he instigated a lawsuit against the Ministry of Defense. Apparantly the ministry is punishing the man for standing up for his rights. Please follow the link and fax or send a letter to the ministry. For more on this click here!
In the late 80's, when communism began to fall in the former Yugoslavia, Croatia, along with Slovenia, was one of its most liberal republics. After the fall of the Iron Curtain to the east and the first democratic elections here since 1945, Croatia seemed to be on its way towards western standards (even with the increase of nationalism which was in reaction towards the chauvinistic policies of Serbia and Slobodan Milosevic). After a devastating war of independence (over 10,000 dead) which ended in 1995 with the Dayton accords, the government in Croatia began to act with increasing authoritarianism. For lesbigays, 1992-1996 saw an active gay social movement known as LIGMA, and small improvement in the lives of lesbigays. However, the authorities had clamped down on the independent press and democracy in general, and the skyrocketing cost of living in relation to wages has made life increasingly difficult for most people. In the last couple of years Croatians have witnessed an increase in the number of scandals involving governme, abuse of freedom of the press, and the rise of extremist politics.
The scandals of 1997-1998 involving the police, top government officials, and various banks have pushed moderate politicians to call for early elections to stop the erosion of a fragile democracy. For lesbigays 1997-1998 has seen the collapse of their social movement (LIGMA), expulsion of an openly gay man from the army, the closure of a cafe known to be a gathering place for lesbigays, and unreasonable controls placed by the government on organizing. On a positive note there have have been a few challenges to government authority by the constitutional court which has sometimes ruled against the government. The gay man who was expelled from the army is currently challenging this discrimination with a lawsuit.
Homosexuality is legal in Croatia (it was decriminalized in 1977), and the age of consent is 18 for both lesbigay men and women. However, the age of consent remains unequal, being only 14 for heterosexual men and women.
Despite the current challenges of the situation in Croatia, lesbigays are still managing to carve out their niche in Croatian society, while the liberalization occuring throughout Europe is starting to make an impact. The foreign tourist who visits here will come upon a friendly and surprisingly laid-back people, as well as some of the most beautiful scenery to be found on the European continent. However it should be noted that there is currently no gay scene as it is known in the West.
The largest city in Croatia is Zagreb, with over 1 million people. Other major cities are Split, Osijek, Rijeka, and Dubrovnik.
So where is Croatia and what is it like?.
Click on the link here for information on Bosnia-Hercegovina. (Gay Bosnia)
QUEER LINKS IN CROATIA
Urbi et Orbi has many excellent links and pages.
Gay Zagreb main site for Zagreb, and info on the rest of Croatia along with chat, personals, etc..
Gay Dalmatia and Split main site for Croatia's second city
Gay Rijeka short page on the city of Rijeka (perhaps the most liberal city in Croatia).
Vise od prihvacanja A book about parents acceptance of their child's homosexuality. Follow link for ordering and information. (Only in Croatian)
AWA The Rainbow League (GayCroatia) Croatian gay page from Germany
Gay Croatia New site with extensive info.
Croatian Transexual Page Page by transexuals for transexuals.
Gallery Pages in Croatian only
TRANSLATED ARTICLES
Selection of translated articles from the Croatian press concerning lesbigays and the overall situation concerning lesbigays. Articles.
INDEPENDENT PRESS LINKS IN CROATIA (In Croatian Only)
Nacional Independent weekly from Croatia available on the web
Feral Tribune Another independent out on the web
PERSONALS
Gay Zagreb has a personals section (when it is working), as well as Urbi et Orbi. Or you can leave one in the message board.
FREE EMAIL ADDRESS
If you do not already have an email address click on Hotmail below to get one.
MESSAGE BOARD
Croatian LesBiGay Message Board
IRC CHAT
There is a Croatian gay channel on IRC. To access it you must have a chat client (mIRC, etc.), and log onto an IRCnet server. The channel to join is #gay.hr
This QueerRing site is owned by L.B.G.hr .
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Any links, comments, suggestions, improvements, etc. please don't hesitate to contact us at - lbgihr@hotmail.com
This page was created April 17, 1996.
Last modified: November 1, 1998.
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