Ljubljana park honors lesbian intellectual couple

The LGBTQ+ community in Slovenia is celebrating a milestone recognition move as a small park in a central Ljubljana borough has been named in honour of a lesbian intellectual couple who were together for almost half a century. A lesbian activist described the experience as cathartic.

Located in the leafy borough of Prule, the previously nameless park is now named after poet Ada Škerl (1924-2009) and translator Sonja Plaskan (1922-2000) in what is the first time a park in Slovenia bears the name of LGBTQ+ persons, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The couple lived close to the park, whose name plaque was unveiled on 3 April.

Long road to milestone achievement

The proposal was put forward two years ago by poet and gay rights activist Brane Mozetič, and Oto Luthar, the director of the Research Centre at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) and a distant relative of Plaskan's.

Having been long dedicated to efforts to uncover Slovenia's hidden LGBTQ+ history, Mozetič found out that Škerl and Plaskan were more than just friends or roommates during his research into the former's life.

Helped by several other experts, including Luthar, who knew the couple personally, he unearthed the truth and in September 2019 he published his findings in the journal Poiesis.

But even then he faced scepticism from some. "As I had convincing evidence of the nature of their relationship, I did not expect that many people would show scepticism and reject my arguments," he told the Slovenia Times.

Visiting places where the two lived and spent time, he stumbled upon a nameless park a few hundred metres from what used to be their home and got the idea to name it after the couple.

He filed the proposal in September 2022, but because he knew that his word "would not do much good", he talked Luthar into joining the proposal as ZRC SAZU head. There were several others who backed the initiative, including PEN Slovenia, the cultural NGO Škuc and 8 March Institute, an NGO committed to women's rights in particular.

It took the city authorities two years to get it done as the first news of the activists' successful efforts emerged last summer. Mozetič, who continues with his efforts to bring LGBTQ+ stories to light, said he was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

He hopes the Slovenian LGBTQ+ community, which he says is getting more and more fragmented, will embrace the park as an important part of its efforts.