![gay cosavo gay men nude gay cosavo gay men nude](https://balkaninsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/lgbt-640x480.jpg)
Kosovo ombudsman, Marek Nowitzki, told IWPR he had not been informed of any such attacks during the past two years, but added “there are cases which are not usually reported to the police”. They receive regular reports of men being beaten up or intimidated on suspicion of being gay, while homophobic views are routinely published in Kosovo’s newspapers.īut they say the problem has failed to attract the attention of human rights groups in the area because fear of being “outed” stops most gays from reporting hate crime to the authorities. Gay rights activists say the situation has not improved, despite the post-war influx of western money and values. Gay men who do not want to become the pariahs of this fiercely patriarchial society make sure they keep their relationships secret. Homosexual relationships, though technically not illegal, have always been a matter of shame and taboo in Kosovo. No one’s harassing us here,” said Veton, whose name has been changed at his request. “I cannot live there because my lifestyle with my partner would be seen as shocking and abhorrent. The reason Veton prefers Soho to Kosovo is his sexuality – he is openly gay. Nor is he part of the minority involved in the vice trade – the Albanian gangs which, London police say, now dominate the capital’s underworld. However, unlike most Albanians living in London, Veton is not a victim of ethnic conflict. Sitting in a Soho bar on a Sunday afternoon, he says he has no intention of going back to a violent, prejudiced society where he would be regarded as a criminal.
![gay cosavo gay men nude gay cosavo gay men nude](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-05/30/23/asset/buzzfeed-prod-web10/sub-buzz-17191-1464664140-1.jpg)
The 27-year-old left Kosovo ten years ago. Veton is at ease amongst the well-groomed, watchful young men who frequent the more flamboyant bars of London’s Soho district.