Nik Jovčić-Sas will be our guest for this episode of Diasporas Speaking.

Thank you to Arbër Qerka-Gashi for agreeing to co-host this episode with me.

Nik Jovčić-Sas is a British-Serb LGBTQ+ activist, musician, drag queen and Eastern Orthodox Theologian. Their work focuses on the intersection of the LGBTQ+ community and Orthodox Christian theology, history and identity - particularly within Serbia and the Balkans. Over the past 10 years they have participated in some of the largest conferences in the Orthodox Church on queer and trans rights, published multiple works on the subject and has even been sued by the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church for carrying a rainbow icon of the Mother of God at Belgrade Pride 2019.

Queerness and Faith | Between Tradition and Resistance

LGBT+ individuals in Serbia often face a painful dilemma, caught between their religious beliefs and their sexual identities. In the Serbian context, the Serbian Orthodox Church plays a significant role in deepening this divide, with priests frequently participating in anti-LGBT+ parades and labelling the community as sinners, thereby fueling widespread anti-LGBT+ sentiment. For those raised within this faith tradition, reconciling their spiritual beliefs with their sexual orientation often demands a profound journey of re-examination, seeking love and acceptance outside the rigid boundaries of "tradition."

Intro music: North-Albanian Instrumental.

Interlude: Kondorov Let - Fejat Sejdić