Who We Are Pro LGBT was established in 2011 in Tirana, when the Albanian leading activist Kristi Pinderi, Erjon Tela and a core group of other activists like Alba Ahmetaj and Edlira Mara got together and decided to contribute to the Albanian queer movement by raising the awareness regarding LGBTQI issues, at both national and international levels. Pro LGBT focuses […]
Pro LGBT was established in 2011 in Tirana, when the Albanian leading activist Kristi Pinderi, Erjon Tela and a core group of other activists like Alba Ahmetaj and Edlira Mara got together and decided to contribute to the Albanian queer movement by raising the awareness regarding LGBTQI issues, at both national and international levels. Pro LGBT focuses on culture, media, storytelling, community work and advocacy. Its news portal, Historiaime.al the first and so far the only queer news outlet in Albania addresses LGBTQI people’s rights. It has become the main communication hub for the entire movement in Albania, and an authoritative source in the regional level. Pro LGBT also works with national and international media to raise awareness about and improve their coverage of LGBTQI issues.
In December 2014 Pro LGBT, in partnership with Alliance LGBT, opened the first residential shelter for homeless LGBTQI young people in Albania. This is among the first services of this type to be provided in South-East Europe. Since May 2012 Pro LGBT has organized major Pride Events such as Tirana Gay (P)Ride, and the awards event “Ally of the Year” together with Aleanca. Pro LGBT has been working intensively with political parties to mainstream LGBTQI issues in their political agenda. Its co-founder Kristi Pinderi has been for many years one of the spokespersons for the queer movement and a major force behind Albania’s first LGBTQ+ National Plan, adopted by the government in 2016.
It offers legal support to LGBTQI individuals through legal counselling and strategic litigation, and is working closely with EU and US institutions on monitoring LGBTQI people’s rights and addressing the topic in all human rights reports and in Albania’s progress reports for the EU. We have undertaken important advocacy work with public institutions, especially those working in the area of human rights. We acknowledge that we cannot deliver meaningful change for LGBTQI people in Albania unless we work together with each other and with public institutions. To strengthen legal and institutional support for protection of the rights of LGBTQI people, we have been working closely with the national human rights institutions. Through our common efforts we have advocated for changes to the legislation in the Criminal Code, Labour Code, and the Administrative Procedure Code which have already been implemented. We have been involved in developing the National Action Plan on LGBT people 2016-2020.
Ahmetaj and Mara, two of ProLGBT’s co-founder and its current leaders are raising together their two children and are in the middle of an historic strategic litigation that promises to have important consequences for the Albanian queer movement. They have sued the official Registrar Office of Albania for failing to register their twins as children of both the mothers and for failing to recognize them as partners.
An open, aware and emancipated society where human rights of all are respected, protected and promoted.
PRO is determined to change and improve social attitudes and views on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics. We fight to protect and promote human rights and give voice to all marginalized communities in Albania