Around Macedonia
Lives of Other PCVs
Albania
Editor’s note: We asked Dylan Byrd, a PCV in Albania,
to give us a glimpse into his service there. He sent us
this dispatch.
Silence Kills
“T
here are no gays in Albania.” my host family stated factually. This was a phrase I would grow accustom to hearing. Albanians
really believed that no one in their country was gay. Foreigners, sure. Americans, definitely. But Albanians, no way in hell.
It’s not that I was searching for gay or lesbian Albanians; it would have been nice, but I expected to be in the closet for the next two
years. But for some reason, homosexuality was often a topic of conversation.
This was mostly due to Prime Minster Sali Berisha’s comments before the summer 2009 elections that he would be
supportive of gay marriage. Many Albanians were surprised by the statement, not hostile, but surprised. Remember, there were no
gays in Albania, so why would they need such a law. The religious communities were the ones that spoke out against the idea of gay
marriage. During this same period, the first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) organization started organizing events
in Tirana.
I connected with Aleanca Kundër Diskriminimit të LGBT at a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