Let The Outreach Begin!

Earlier this Summer, my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and I (in partnership with two NGOs) applied for a Peace Corps SPA Grant for LGBT Community Outreach throughout Albania. The idea started from a former volunteer (more formally called "Returned Peace Corps Volunteer" or RPCV) who served in Albania from 2012-2014. He had completed his project right before I arrived. It just so happened that our service years overlapped a bit, and I was able to learn about his project early on in my service. I liked the project design and thought it would be great to replicate and even expand if possible during my service (2014-2016). I am happy to say that we were awarded the grant funds last week!

Overview

The idea is to educate Albanians about LGBT issues and build awareness of the LGBT Community. Our work is primarily outside of the capital city of Tirana, as these areas are less exposed to such subject matter. Our target audience is younger individuals, as this population tends to be more receptive, and can be more easily engaged in a classroom or group setting. Me and my fellow group mates will work with a group of amazing activists from two NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) to facilitate each engagement - Aleanca Kunder Diskriminimit LGBT (Alliance Against LGBT Discrimination) and ProLGBT. 

What's New?

This year we are looking to expand the network of the NGOs by engaging members of the community and working with them as a local contact point. It is our hope to create a network that will serve to provide more safety and support for the LGBT people across the country (more about this concern below). We also hope that this will allow for sustainability after Peace Corps has finished its mission here in Albania. 

Timeline

We already started! We are looking to do outreach until all 13 sites are visited. This will happen between now and April 2016. Check out the next post for info on our first outreach engagement!

A Growing Concern

As it stands, many LGBT people seek community in Tirana. For some, the situation in their home town is so hostile that they move away. Of course, without local support from family or friends, the only place one has to go is Tirana. This is a country where family means a house, food, and community. When a family rejects a son or daughter for their sexual orientation, the child loses their ability to care for themselves. Once the community finds out that one of their own is a 'deviant,' it is no longer possible to remain in the closet. Word travels fast, especially in small towns. Thus Tirana becomes a sort-of mecca for LGBT in Albania. Hardly the bastion of gay life as in San Francisco, New York, Berlin or even Tel Aviv, it is better than facing derision from their family and community day after day. So they go. They seek a better life - yet possibly with no job prospects, no job training, limited English skills, little/no money, and nothing in their possession but the clothes on their backs. Luckily there is a shelter that caters to LGBT youth that will house them, cloth them, and give them food, psycho-social support, and even vocational training. When did this start, you may ask? Just last year, around December 2014. :-) If you would like more information about the shelter visit STREHA SHELTER (And yes, of course they always need support and donations!)

LGBT: What It's Like: Part II

(Continued from earlier blog post - LGBT: What It's Like - Part I)

 

On our journey, my so-called 'Pink Posse' and I will see the reality of the situation here in Albania. There have not been any riots or protests against LGBT people, there are no major political hardliners using religion to gain favor at the expense of LGBT people, and I personally have not experienced any hate directly regarding LGBT people. Things seem calm. But are they? What will happen when one starts churning the waters? Will the Albanians that we encounter suddenly realize that LGBT people are not just in America but all around them? Teaching their children? Hanging out together in school? Sitting next door? Across the bar? Working at the café? Even looking across the room from them every day as a brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or even parent?! What will happen then? Maybe nothing.

Maybe the abolishment of religion in Albania in 1967 laid the foundation for a society that has no reason to really hate gay people. In America, some fanatics use religion as a means to deny the rights of their fellow citizens. This vocal minority are not just expressing their religion, they are voting bigots into power, further promoting a system of hate that in turn makes the lives of many LGBT people a living hell. I commend those who use religion to find peace and love in the world. I like to believe that this is the majority of people, but... it is hard to tell sometimes. I’d hate to think that the abolishment of religion altogether is the solution to creating a more accepting society! That would be a sad day for humanity indeed. I’d like to think that people are capable of having disagreement and yet still showing love for each other. It’s almost a metaphor for a family gathering during the holidays. Isn’t there room for all opinions at the dinner table?

For What It's Worth... or "Stop, Hey, What's That Sound?"

I feel like there are so many untold stories... I want to help bring them to life

Recently I have been curious about journalism - not just about how its done, but about actually participating as a journalist. I suppose that the idea of being a journalist appeals to me because it doesn't require me to be in any specific place. It is something that can engage my mind all day long. I might find a story anywhere or at any time. Even as I sit on this hot furgon (minivan) out here in Eastern Albania, sweating in my cheap shorts and worn out H&M tank top, the call to prayer from the local mosque wakes me from my reverie. It reminds me to pay attention to what's going on around me. I am somewhere special. When I can appreciate a moment, put it into context, it suddenly becomes more interesting. In truth, anywhere can be interesting. I feel that now. I feel it here. Let's see where this goes...

LGBT: What It's Like - part 1

Lately I have been meeting a lot of people in the LGBT community here in Albania and even some in Macedonia and Kosovo. It is interesting to hear their perspectives and what life is like for them in their respective communities. Things seems pretty dire in Macedonia, more so than I realized. I am not sure what the history of LGBT rights are out there, but I do hope to find out soon.  I heard stories about violence, harassment, verbal abuse, stalking, and even anonymous threats.

I am trying to understand the dynamics of what’s going on here. I grew up in San Francisco, one of the bastions of LGBT rights in the world. When I was a teenager, I would see drag queens sashay-ing up the street, naked people walking as if their skin were made by Karl Lagerfeld himself, and so-called 'daddies' all strutted up in black leather harnesses like extras in the latest Roman movie epic. It is where LGBT people fought for their rights for decades, and now where people with HIV can get adequate care. (One wonders whether those people can still afford to live there or not, but that is another discussion entirely.)

I am now in Albania. I am in a post-communist country. The population is mostly Muslim. The country itself has been isolated for decades (from Europe and from the rest of the world to a greater extent.) It is a place where LGBT pride parades and demonstrations are just beginning to exist. It is a place where activists are making a difference on all levels – from grassroots efforts to advocacy at the governmental level. Policy change is happening here, thanks in part to Albania’s desire to join the European Union. (More about LGBT rights in Albania)

Something wonderful is happening here. I can feel it. I also feel that discussions that need to happen are not yet happening. I feel that the sh*t has yet to hit the fan. I hate to write in such vulgar terms, but it is exactly how I feel. As me and my ‘pink posse’ venture off into cities across Albania, we shall see what lies beneath the jovial surface. That’s the thing about exploring places unknown… you never really know what you’ll find…

 

Further Reading

Article: Albania: The Gay Movement You Never Imagined

OMG... SUMMER HAPPENED! (PHOTOS)

It has been 18 months since I left California for Albania. A lot has happened, some things never happened, and there are a lot more things yet to happen in the months to come. So...

Summertime for this Peace Corps Volunteer means summer camps and secondary projects! Woop woop!

Here are some summer highlights:

For a short while, I was on an Albanian Fitness TV Show! lol

Me and Alba are all smiles helping the kids in our community brighten theirs!

OMG it's my parents! In Scotland!

At Kampi Pa Emer - Face-painting Day! So much fun...

Getting ready for Matura (Albanian Traditional Promenade)

Popped into the Senate on the last day of the Patriot Act, said 'hey' to Sen. Paul

Exploring the UK and Ireland with my boo

Showing our PRIDE in Albania!

ZUMBAAAAAAA!

Meet and greet with our new Ambassador Donald Lu

• Rode a gomar (that's a donkey)
• Tried on a traditional Albanian outfit
• Participated in the annual Matura prom ceremony in my town
• Taught Zumba with kids
• Taught Zumba with even littler kids!
• Was a Camp Counselor for the fabulous Kampi Pa Emer!
• Marched with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and welcomed the US Ambassador at  Tirana Pride.
• Worked with Peace Corps Washington on development of LGBTI Handbook.
• Took a vacation in the UK/Ireland with Sid, met up with parents in Scotland
• Visited family and had family reunion in DC/Maryland Area.
• Worked on a SPA Grant Application with fellow PCV's and two amazing NGO's in Albania on LGBT Awareness.
• Did a regular fitness spot for Albanian TV (A1Report) called Good Morning Fitness.
• Did a retreat with the amazing Gender And Diversity Committee to plan the upcoming year.
• Welcomed a new PCV to my site! :-D
• Marching with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and welcoming the US Ambassador at the Tirana Pride Parade
• Went fishing in the river with only a jar and some bread! (Yeah, it's a thing) 
• Personal training with folks at the local gym

What's on the horizon:

• Getting ready to start my grant project and visit remote, poor village areas of my home for Breast Cancer education.
• New grant pending for LGBT Awareness through SPA Grant funds (Peace Corps) - we will visit regions across Albania to raise awareness of LGBT issues. So excited!
• Working on various LGBT initiatives with Peace Corps Albania and various NGO's in Albania - there are exciting things in the works... more on this soon.
• Coordinating a second clothing drive for the LGBT youth shelter of Albania (Streha).
• More Zumbaaaaaa! Of course.
• Rolling out various projects with the Gender And Diversity team! (More on this soon..)

  

Being Everyone's Friend Can Be Hard Work!

Qofte, Buke, Raki, and Qep. It's the Albanian Family Dinner in action

Making friends while serving in The Peace Corps can be an interesting endeavor.

Sure we all want to be a great volunteer. We want to be friends with everyone. We want our name to be called as we walk down the streets of our home town/village/etc. We want that experience like in the TV show "Cheers" (where everybody knows our name). Anthropologically-speaking, we as humans have an innate social instinct. We try (even need) to fit into a social group in order to survive. Those who are not part of a social group are at risk for being picked-off and attacked, are less likely to find a suitable mate, and are relegated to the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Putting this into context for Peace Corps, there are several things going on here:
1. We try to fit in with our new social environment.
2. We try to fit in with our fellow Peace Corps Volunteers
3. We try to impress Peace Corps as an organization, and produce note-worthy work.
4. We try to find like-minded people these domains (cross-sectionally), building/expanding our own local social network.
5. We try to maintain social standing and presence with friends and family back home.

We are willingly uprooted from our home and place of comfort. We are transported to another  environment with a culture different from the one to which we are accustomed. We don't want to fall behind our Peace Corps peers. So what do we do?

Me and one of my buddies in Librazhd, Albania

We try. We try hard. We sacrifice. We sometimes worry. We sometimes worry a lot. We cry. We overeat. We undereat. We gossip. We burnout. We strive for greatness. We give ourselves to our communities. We dedicate our lives to strangers. We make friends. We open our hearts. We make meaningful connections. We have misunderstandings. We offend. We are offended. We have expectations that don't get met. We fail. We try again. We fail again. We gain resolve. We try yet again. We succeed and feel amazing. We are dynamic and unstoppable. We experience ups and downs. We find ourselves at a loss for words. We experience breathtaking beauty. We see some messed-up things. We shut the world out. We fear for our future. We open up the doors to life again. We find new passions. We discover things about ourselves. We try new things. We eat new things. We offer our culture willingly. We participate gratefully. We act silly. We help each other out. We admire each other. We get jealous of each other. We envy one another. We apologize for our mistakes. We move on. We forgive others. We forgive ourselves. We find that we love our new home. We grow close to our communities. We work together to accomplish great things. We surprise ourselves. We surprise others. We go for gold and end up going platinum. We wake up wanting to change the world and do amazing things!

Then again... some days we just want to watch Game of Thrones in our underwear and eat the peanut butter our parents sent us last week.

How Facebook Smeared the Face of Beauty - Step-By-Step

When I go about my day and notice something noteworthy, I think, "That's beautiful, I should post a photo of it on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/etc." Here's my thought process.

Yes. I should post a photo, so people will know that I saw something beautiful.

They will wonder where I am and be happy for me.

They will 'Like' my post to show me that they liked it.

I will see the 'Like' and know that what I saw was indeed worth liking.

I will wait a bit of time and check to see if others also agree that this something was in fact worthy of being called beautiful and brought to the attention of the social media world.

If there are not enough 'Likes' then I may feel that I have made an error and there are three possible explanations that run through my head:

1. What I saw was not actually that beautiful.
2. I failed to capture the beauty of what I saw.
3. My friends don't share my appreciation for the beauty in what I saw.

My response could be as such -

1. Why do my opinions differ so much from that of my friends?
2. Why do people like my photos less than others?
3. Do I really not take good photographs?
4. People suck. I hate everybody.
5. Whatever. La di f*cking da. I got better sh*t to do than hang out of Facebook/Twitter/Instagram all day. :-P

And then I blog about it.... sigh.

My concept of beauty hadn't changed, but had now been placed in a different context.

I am challenging my own conceptions daily, but sometimes I question them due to social pressures. Maybe this is entirely normal but... I for one would love to see the world as beautiful in as many ways as possible. Does this mean total disconnection from the social media world? Possibly. That would make it a bit easier, but it doesn't get rid of the problem. My conceptions are valid. Period. Beauty may be fickle but I'd like to think that I'm a bit less so. lol I shouldn't be looking to others for something that I should be telling myself.