On the occasion of May 17 – International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, sent the following message:
“On the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we are reminded of the need to raise awareness, of the ongoing struggle for more rights and equal opportunities for LGBTQI+ people. Many of them still live in fear of social acceptance, are subject to discrimination, harassing speech or are victims of violence as acts of hatred.
Unfortunately, as a society we are not immune to prejudice, stigmatization and hate speech towards people who are part of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is unacceptable. All people should enjoy fundamental human rights and there should be no exceptions on any grounds.
We all need to contribute to promoting inclusion in our common society, accepting and respecting diversity.
To create a society in which we all enjoy fundamental rights, a community in which marginalized citizens are protected, in accordance with the democratic values we believe in.”
