The threat against "55 shades of gay" takes a high position in the Ministry of Culture

Almost four years ago, law enforcement agencies had a problem with a state official who, through a comment, had threatened members of the LGBT community, but a chapter like this did not prevent the Ministry of Culture from appointing Xheladin Krasniqi as the secretary's replacement. The "Multimedia" organization, to whose address the threat was made in connection with the show "55 shades of gay", has been described as a scandal.

In February 2019, the state institutions would have to work with an administration official. The Prosecutor's Office, the Police and the Ministry of Justice were activated after the official Xheladin Krasniqi was not restrained in relation to a show dealing with policies for the LGBTIQ+ community. Krasniqi, then an archive official at the Ministry of Justice, had posted a three-line comment full of mistakes, but enough to understand the message. As he called the show "55 shades of gay" "extreme degeneracy", he said that he would "take off their heads with a sword". But beforehand he preferred to do another action with the sword.

“Uuuuu what extreme degeneracy. The slope is steep. Good ex-con, before I take your head off, I hit you with the sword...", he wrote on Facebook, commenting on the production of the show, the "Multimedia" center. Distancing the Ministry of Justice from this statement, a disciplinary commission and 48 hours of detention by the Police were some of the measures.

But for the Ministry of Culture, this case is closed and does not represent an obstacle for Krasniqi to be appointed by the minister Hajrulla Çeku as the deputy of the general secretary of the highest cultural institution in the country. Minister Čeku took the decision on this appointment on August 30.

This decision was defended by the Cabinet of Minister Çeku.

"According to Xheladin Krasniqi's statement which he gave to the Kosovo Police, as well as to the Court, for the case that happened in 2019, he admitted that his reaction was under the influence and for the comment he made, he asked apologies, adding that there was and continues to be nothing against the LGBT community", it is written in the answers given to TIME by the cabinet of the Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku. It is written there that Krasniqi has worked for 13 years in the State Administration and related to this commitment has received all positive evaluations so far.

"The position of deputy secretary of MKRS has been appointed temporarily, until the regular procedure for the election of the general secretary is completed, and then he will return to his previous position," the answer reads. Previously, Krasniqi was deputy director in the Office for Copyright and Related Rights. KOHA tried on Wednesday to contact the deputy general secretary, Xhelafin Krasniqi, but this was impossible through his phone number.

When Krasniqi made his comment, the play "55 shades of gay" was being performed at the "Oda" theater. Immediately after the comment, the environment was secured by the Kosovo Police. At that time, the "Multimedia" center had strongly reacted against Krasniqi's call.

However, his appointment to the second highest position in the Ministry of Culture, the leader of this center, playwright Jeton Neziraj, sees as a scandal.

"Too bad, too bad that MKRS has become the shelter of this individual of the caliphate of swords, who once openly demanded beheadings of LGBTIQ+ members! Bad, twice bad. The first thing I hear is that that guy continues to work in the state administration and even worse that he has now come to work in MKRS! Of course, he apologized, admitted that he was 'wrong' with his comment, and the cultural caliphate in MKRS believed him", said Neziraj. Regarding the approach of MKRS, he wrote further.

"Here, this is the great reform that MKRS has promised us. I am truly speechless! Unforgivable scandal", said Neziraj.

The "Multimedia" center that he leads reacted similarly when the case happened in February 2019.

At that time, Xheladin Krasniqi was detained by the Kosovo Police for 48 hours.

"Regarding the case of threats against LGBT, after police actions, by decision of the competent prosecutor, a suspect was ordered to be detained for 48 hours. KP continues with the police investigations", it was written in the answer that the Police gave to KOĖHA on Thursday, February 14, 2019.

At that time, it was the Minister of Justice, Abelard Tahiri, who had reacted to the comment made by Krasniqi. It was distanced from the language used by the offices of the institution it runs.

"The official in question is an employee of the archive office at the Ministry of Justice and the same on the Facebook social network has used language that does not coincide with the institutional logic, nor with the collective values ​​of our society, nor with our orientation towards respecting full of dignity, tolerance and rights of citizens as defined by the Constitution of the country", he said through a reaction as a minister. He had strongly condemned the use of such language, which, according to Tahir, is unacceptable in the institution he led, and the Ministry of Justice completely distanced itself from this scandalous language and spirit.

On the other hand, the "Multimedia" center called on the Kosovo Police Prosecutor's Office to deal with the case of the person who, according to them, used fascist language.

"The team of '55 shades of gay' has seriously understood the threat of the official of the Ministry of Justice and in this context we want to invite the Prosecution to investigate this case, this public threat. At the same time, we appeal to the Ministry of Justice to take measures against its official and distance himself from such fascist comments", the reaction read. According to "Multimedia", "an official like this with Taliban opinions and who calls out that artists should be beheaded with swords" should not have a place in the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.

It was the "La MaMa" theater club in New York, one of the most renowned companies in the United States, that for the first time had made room for a show from Kosovo. From March 7 to 17, eight times in a row, the show "55 shades of gay", with text by playwright Jeton Neziraj and directed by Blerta Rrustemi-Neziraj, was given at "la MaMa". The show, which premiered in Kosovo in September 2017, was given in New York at the "Ellen Stewart Theater", which bears the name of the founder of the company, the director and the well-known producer who died in 2011 at the age of 91. .

"'55 shades of gay' was a burlesque account of the politics surrounding the LGBTI community in the Balkans and Europe. The local politicians of the Balkans try to manipulate and deceive the officials of the European Union, the humanitarian mercenaries of international non-governmental organizations, and who quite often use the homophobic terrain to collect funds and carry out their social and educational projects - such as workshops and seminars about the way condors are used - while EU officials, using their superior financial and political position, try to subjugate them all", the description of the show reads. There it is clarified that with this manipulation, abuse and underwriting, the questions that the show poses are: "Is sexual liberation possible in the Balkans? Or, can the Balkans start a 'Balkan Spring of Sexual Revolution'?"