Our compatriot who lives and works in Melbourne, Australia as a civil engineer announced a reaction on the occasion of the outing of the Macedonian representative at Eurovision Vasil Garvanliev which caused a series of negative comments and reactions on social networks. Namely, Garvanliev spoke openly about his sexual orientation, due to which he was attacked by a part of the public.

We convey to you in full, the announcement of this mother who in the key moment of her son's life - his outing, gave him support and dealt with the negative reactions from the environment.

"Like most of us, I'm on Facebook and I check my posts several times a day. The other day I read: Vasil Garvanliev is gay. And comments! But from people, my FB friends! Terrible! I doubt that they are ready to say such comments in public, but the paper suffers.

And I could not help but react.

A little bit about me:

My name is Mirjana Fotevska-Eleftheriadis and I am a civil engineer by profession. During my studies, women at the Faculty of Civil Engineering had to count on the fingers of one hand. The comments I received were of the type: where did you find exactly that to study or: you are a woman, where will you go to facilities with men; or: the time will come when you will have to get married and give birth, leave the construction work to the men; or: what would you miss to finish for a teacher, it would be great for you! Let's face it, I have nothing against teachers, and my mother was one of them, but it just wasn't for me.

When it came time for employment, I was asked in an interview how I thought I would handle working with men. They could hardly have come up with a stupid question.

Even now, after more than 20 years of work experience, much less often for the sake of truth, but sometimes someone will dare to check my credibility only on the basis of my gender!
The other day I was watching the movie about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. An American activist, the first woman to graduate from Harvard in the 50s. And what Golgotha ​​did he have to go through to get to the place he deserved. Just because of her gender.

My late grandmother was an incredibly intelligent woman. She learned to read and write on her own, and my memories of her are always with a book in hand. She was a hardworking woman, mother, housewife. But she was not allowed to think about a career or show more ability than her husband. You will agree that in those days it would have been seen, to say the least, as immoral.

But times are changing and the world is moving forward. Today women are very close to equality with men in many fields. Although much remains to be done, especially in our Balkans.

With all this said, I want to believe that I raised my children to be their own, independent and most of all honest - towards themselves and the people they love.

So it was no big surprise when one day our son told us he was gay. It certainly does not matter that we as parents fear for the safety and well-being of our children. But one thing I knew then, and now after 10 years from that statement of his - that I love and respect him just as he is.

And let me go back to the FB comments: What kind of mind can go to such dark places and say that all homosexuals are immoral, that they are sick and what not!

They speak with such self-confidence, you think they are Vasil's first friends. And they do not even think about the effect that such words have on a young child who may be currently exploring his sexuality.

On the other hand, I find myself affected by such comments. My child has high moral standards, works hard, has fun with friends, and has plans for his future. Among other things, he is gay.

How can a heterosexual middle-aged white man who thinks the world owes him just because he is a heterosexual middle-aged white man judge Vasil, and thus my son, and many other children who are going through the process of learning, among other things? and your sexuality?

Enough! The time has come, and the rights of the LGBT community are inevitable.

And in the meantime, I was busy blocking the so-called FB friends and colleagues. Until they understand that even though I am a woman, I can be a better engineer than a man, and, although I am a woman, cooking and ironing are not my strengths, they will have no place in my world.