Short report from research: Is it safe to be LBT in North Macedonia?

The analysis and reports that are available for North Macedonia give insight in the needs and problems that mainly gay and bisexual man face. We still lack specific data on the LBT people which is why there is a need for deeper research which will analyze the reasons for law reporting rates on violence, with a wider frame that includes lesbians, bisexual and trans people.

This research is an attempt and opportunity to deepen and expand the evidence based national and international advocacy on LBT+ human rights and raise the visibility of issues specific for LBT in the country, but also in a broader sense in terms of personal security and violence.

The findings from the research have shown that there is an urgent need for reform of the protection system which will include all actors, but with the main focus on the police as an organ which is severely failing its obligation to protect all citizens equally. There is a fear of judgement and prejudice among LBT as a main reason for not feeling safe in terms of coming out, which can also result with verbal, psychological and physical violence. Further, there is a big distrust in the institutions combined with the fear for their safety when contacting with the police, especially for trans people. Transgender women, especially sex workers are the most common victims of violence and are mostly the ones that face mistreatment by the police, but are also the ones that normalize the violence due to their difficult experiences in different areas and generally aggravated living.

The original report was prepared in English as part of the Out of Margin project, which is a network of organizations created by the London-based organization Stonewall, which includes 24 organizations from 20 countries in Europe, South America and Africa.

The short report is available on the following link: Is it safe to be LBT in North Macedonia_