I am sitting in a hotel here in Belgrade eating my breakfast. It’s Serbia so meat is the dominant feature.
But I have just walked around the corner of the block to the hotel where they are issueing the accreditation to volunteers stewards who are marshalling the Pride March today and in the course of that short journey I have passed over 200 riot police (I stopped counting). The roads are closed and the streets ghostly quiet.
I am fairly confident here and know Serbia pretty well – but I found myself nervous, uncertain and even tearful as I walked through the streets. I was clutching my phone, hiding my camera and very mindful that as best I try I probably look like a visitor.
In three hours I will meet other friends who are LGBT activists in the Human Rights Council of the Liberal Democrat Party of Serbia whom I will march with. In London, the UK, much of Europe we can be confident of who we are and who we love. Here people, friends, folks I know, are fighting, literally, for the right to exist and be themselves.
This morning as people, mainly young people, travel by car, bus and bicycle into Belgrade – often alone to come and be in Belgrade Pride – please spare a thought for them. It already feels tough and slightly grim and I haven’t yet unfurled my rainbow flags.
But here in Serbia, it is the Liberal Democrats of the United Kingdom who are working with parties to advocate LGBT rights. As my Lib Dem political friends gather in Bournemouth to discuss most things – please make sure you don’t forget the basics of equality and internationalism. Serbia is a country struggling to cope with handling 500,000 refugees, has had its borders closed by foolish neighbours and is being cold-shouldered by Europe – they deserve better.
Right, back to breakfast in order to gird myself ready for walking alone past the riot Police lined up outside my hotel in order to meet friends and fellow LGBT activists at a named statue where we will seek to join the march. As daunting as it sounds I know I have a flight home and to remind myself of my good fortune in life I can roll my wedding ring round on my finger. My friends here do not have that fortune… Yet.
I will be tweeting from @edfordham during the day and retweets from Liberal Democrat Voice readers would be appreciated.
* Ed Fordham was councillor for Stoke West 1998-2002, stood for Stoke-on-Trent Central 1997 and is working full time for Dr Zufiqar Ali