Athens, 31 October 2015
Yesterday evening, over 70 people attended the launch of ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey at the 2015 ILGA Europe Conference in Athens. 
The launch of ERA at the annual gathering of LGBTI activists and organisations, foundations that support LGBTI projects and initiatives, governments’ representatives and other important figures from the European LGBTI movement and beyond, was the first of this kind of public event where the newly established regional association was introduced to a wider audience. 
ERA was presented by Dragana Todorović, Amarildo Fecanji and Antonio Mihajlov – who spoke on different aspects related to ERA, such as the need for a regional approach to addressing and supporting LGBTI issues, on the historical background of the LGBTI movement in the region, on the activities and plans envisioned for the near future, as well as on the ways to become a member of ERA. 
Short introductory speeches were held by Biljana Ginova and Bekim Asani, the co-chairs of the Steering Board of ERA, as well.
The introduction and promotion of ERA to the audience stirred up a lively discussion among the participants, among whom was also Terry Reintke, Member of the European Parliament, from the European Greens. She tweeted