DYLBERIZM

Dylberizm has been around for a while; since two queer activists from Kosovo started up an Instagram account in 2018 that broke all the molds for and about the queer community, and it has quickly become a loud and affirmative space for LGBTIQ+ representation and visibility.

Unfortunately, Dylberizm’s watchdog activism from the world of Instagram was recently suspended, while their work continues to live through other social networks and their website.

Educational, informative and particularly humorous and fun, Dylberizm is the first platform in the Albanian language dedicated to educate and inform the queer community (and others) on all things queer.

Unlike many other media in Kosovo, Dylberizm has presented LGBTIQ+ individuals not as an exotic “other” but as integral part of our society, by creating a safe space for queer individuals to share and therefore, allow meaningful discussions and narratives that concern real people.

One of the most powerful sections of Dylberizm is “Share your Story,” with anonymous personal stories shared by individuals in the queer community who may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or even nonbinary people — and others under the great queer umbrella. And while sometimes they are raw testimonies about suffering and struggle, often they are a unique window into stories of pure love, self-acceptance and inspiring growth.

Through both, the Instagram account and the web, sustained by volunteers mainly, Dylberizm speaks the internet language and educates us all on queer culture and arts, history, rights, sexual health, terminology and more. While also allowing fun through quizzes, memes and more importantly, through a space that is not always loaded with drama. Being queer is fun, let the record show.

Beyond that, Dylberizm is becoming a crucial watchdog for anti-queer rethoric in Kosovar politics too: During the latest elections, they published a list of homophobe candidates running for deputy that became pretty viral; and are joining efforts with the activist group Replikë. They provoked a public correction from newly appointed deputy prime minister for minorities and human rights, Emilia Rexhepi, on her previously declared position against same sex marriage.

Dylberizm for K2.0:

“Even though our presence in the media is bigger, the approach is not always the best. In most cases, queer stories are reported in a sensationalist way, and portray the queer community as something exotic and new, and not as an equal part of society in Kosovo. [ …] We lacked a space where queer people, from all ages and backgrounds, could come together in a place, find themselves, participate in discussions and interact with each other.

So our approach came precisely as a result of this need that we had. [ …] We have been considered to be louder in political issues, and this has come because of the need to bring LGBTIQ+ issues into the public discourse in a time of political change in Kosovo.

In these times when the system is changing and we have popular mobilization for positive change, again LGBTIQ+ issues are left aside and we have seen this in the latest election, when not a single party had a proposal in their program concerning the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. Seeing the political moment, we see the need to push for LGBTIQ+ issues as much as we can.

The times for tolerating exclusion on the pretext that we have bigger problems in the country are over. If our public calls and exposing homophobes are not enough, we will take action in the street; which is also one of our approaches to fighting homophobia and transphobia.

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Smashing patriarchy and heteronormativity one virtual platform at a time

Feminism speaks Albanian more than ever: four online platforms to prove it.

Cristina Marí