Serbia gay rights

A person waves a flag during the European LGBTQ pride march in Belgrade, Serbia, September 17, REUTERS/Zorana Jevtic

What’s the context?

LGBTQ+ couples in the Balkans are still fighting for recognition as Greece becomes first Orthodox nation to back same-sex marriage

  • Serbia among European nations with no civil union law
  • Orthodox leaders object progress on LGBTQ+ rights
  • Activists hope Greek gay marriage law boosts their fight

LONDON - Stefana Budimirovic and Radica Stevanov share a home and dreams of starting a family, but the lesbian couple's relationship does not exist in the eyes of the law in Serbia - one of more than a dozen European nations yet to recognise same-sex unions.

"Everything (we have) is in just either one of our names," said Budimirovic, 33, as she described the everyday problems the couple face. "(Radica's) name needs to be on the paperwork for the house, we want to be legally covered."

But Greece's decision last month to legalise same-sex marriage - becoming the first Orthodox Christian nation to do so - has raised hopes of rights gains amo

Four days before the streets of Belgrade were to host EuroPride , LGBTQ+ activists were handed a letter from Serbia’s interior ministry informing them that the proposed route for the Pride march had been rejected and telling them to submit a revised route. The catch? The request needed to have been handed to the police the previous day to be considered. So it amounted to an effective ban.

Serbian LGBTQ+ activists have told me that despite this they will march along the original route as planned. In more ways than one, it feels like history is repeating itself.

In , Belgrade was elected by the European Pride Organisers Association members to host EuroPride, a pan-European Pride event which is held annually in a different European city. This was a major first for EuroPride: the first time the event would be held outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and a major recognition of how Belgrade Pride has overcome a history of violence and bans to become a regular and unharmed event each year since

The decision to effectively ban the march has echoes of , when Belgrade Pride was first

LGBTIQ

Serbia: Gays and lesbians “temporarily” declared personae non-gratae

What are the reactions of the Serbian LGBTIQ community to the cancellation? Are people appalled, or perform they resign because discriminatory behaviour on the part of the government has become a habit?

The reaction of the organizers of EuroPride was decisive and responsible – the President of the Republic cannot cancel EuroPride because he did not even verb it. The Pride parade can only be banned not by a verbal decree of the President, but by a decision of the Ministry of the Interior. Organizations and supporters have stated firmly and unequivocally that the walk will take place, regardless of the decision of the authorities. I believe this is heroic and the right decision – because this will make the EuroPride a real protest, not just a ceremonial walk.

Are there ways and means to support the Serbian LGBTIQ community in its effort for equal rights and social participation from within the EU and its member states?

The European Union and its member states should exert as much pressure a

Public Opinion of Transgender Rights in Serbia

Introduction

This report presents information on public belief about transgender people and their rights in Serbia. We analyzed data from The Global Attitudes Toward Transgender People survey, Serbia panel, to provide brand-new information on attitudes towards transgender people and their rights and status in Serbian society. This is of particular importance, because only a few studies provide information on the social position of transgender persons and their experiences in Serbia.

There are about 20, transgender people in are in a particularly vulnerable position because rules governing legal gender recognition still require undergoing medical procedures. Since , after the first gender-affirming surgery was carried out,around 8 to 10 persons annually undergo the ing to one estimate, 80% of transgender persons in Serbia are either interested or unable to undergo gender-affirming surgery.

The Constitution of Serbia enshrines fundamental human rights and freedoms, and its equality clauseprohibits discrimination on any ground; however, i