Participants in the Pride parade in Belgrade on September 7
BELGRADE -- Thousands of LGBT supporters turned out on September 7 for a Pride march in Belgrade, where organizers said their demands that the government pass laws to recognize same-sex unions and gender identity remain their top priorities.
Marchers waved rainbow flags as they walked along a route secured by a heavy police presence behind a colorful banner with the phrase "Pride Means People" in Serbian. Several beat drums, while others held posters with phrases such as, “No one is free until everyone is free,” and, “Love wins.”
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One poster called for people in Serbia’s LGBT community to have the same rights as Ana Brnabic, the former prime minister and current parliament speaker, who is openly lesbian.
Filip Vulovic, one of the organizers of the march, said participants wanted it to be “equal and loud."
The march ended without any incidents after passing by the Serbian parliament building and the building that houses the presidency, pointing out the discrimination and violence faced by LGBT people.
Four government ministers, including Tanja Miscevic, who is in charge of Serbia's EU integration, took part. In a statement, Miscevic said the government is discussing the Law On Same-Sex Unions in the context of the experiences of other countries that have introduced similar laws.
"It is a matter of protection of a part of citizens who must be equal in law with other citizens," she said.
A small group of opponents of the Pride march gathered in the center of Belgrade, carrying church symbols, Serbian flags, and a banner that read: "Parade Humiliation." A police cordon prevented them from getting close to the march.
Goran Miletic, a spokesman for the organizers of the march, said the LGBT community has eight demands this year, but the most important is the adoption of the Law On Same-Sex Unions and the Law On Gender Identity.
Among the other demands are an improvement in health care for transgender people and public condemnation of government representatives for spreading hate speech.
SEE ALSO:
Serbia's Conservatives Seek Textbook Ban Over 'LGBT Ideology'
“I want to live freely and authentically," said Ana Jovanovic, a member of the organizing committee, saying that as a trans woman in Serbia she faces obstacles that make her life difficult.
"My path was not easy, but I am here to raise my voice on behalf of those who cannot be heard,” she said.
Police began deploying for this year’s Belgrade Pride march, which was held under the slogan "Pride Is People," on September 6, blocking traffic on the streets in the capital that were on the march route.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Serbia in 1994, but LGBT people say they still experience repression and violence.
There were 85 incidents last year in Serbia that were motivated by hatred toward LGBT people, according to data compiled by the Da Se Zna (Let It Be Known) group, which documents violence and discrimination motivated by homophobia and transphobia. The NGO said most incidents are not reported to authorities due to distrust in institutions.
Human Rights Watch warned in a report in early 2024 that LGBT people in Serbia face intolerance, threats, and violence, and the ombudsman of Serbia highlighted on the eve of the Pride march the need for stronger institutional support for LGBT people to prevent violence and other forms of discriminatory behavior to which they are still exposed.
A proposed law that would enable LGBT people to register as partners is pending. The Green-Left Front sent the proposal to the Serbian parliament last year, but the government has not brought it up for debate.
The law would allow same-sex couples some of the basic rights heterosexual couples have with regard to property, inheritance, and decision-making in case of illness. Right-wing parties and organizations and the Serbian Orthodox Church oppose the proposed law.
President Aleksandar Vucic said in August 2023 that he would not sign it, saying it would create "some third gender where you're not a man or a woman."
BELGRADE -- Thousands of LGBT supporters turned out on September 7 for a Pride march in Belgrade, where organizers said their demands that the government pass laws to recognize same-sex unions and gender identity remain their top priorities.
Marchers waved rainbow flags as they walked along a route secured by a heavy police presence behind a colorful banner with the phrase "Pride Means People" in Serbian. Several beat drums, while others held posters with phrases such as, “No one is free until everyone is free,” and, “Love wins.”
Get a curated digest of all our essential news, features, and analysis, plus our best visual journalism, in your inbox every day. The Rundown keeps you up-to-date on Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and developments across our vast coverage area. Sign up here.
One poster called for people in Serbia’s LGBT community to have the same rights as Ana Brnabic, the former prime minister and current parliament speaker, who is openly lesbian.
Filip Vulovic, one of the organizers of the march, said participants wanted it to be “equal and loud."
The march ended without any incidents after passing by the Serbian parliament building and the building that houses the presidency, pointing out the discrimination and violence faced by LGBT people.
Four government ministers, including Tanja Miscevic, who is in charge of Serbia's EU integration, took part. In a statement, Miscevic said the government is discussing the Law On Same-Sex Unions in the context of the experiences of other countries that have introduced similar laws.
"It is a matter of protection of a part of citizens who must be equal in law with other citizens," she said.
A small group of opponents of the Pride march gathered in the center of Belgrade, carrying church symbols, Serbian flags, and a banner that read: "Parade Humiliation." A police cordon prevented them from getting close to the march.
Goran Miletic, a spokesman for the organizers of the march, said the LGBT community has eight demands this year, but the most important is the adoption of the Law On Same-Sex Unions and the Law On Gender Identity.
Among the other demands are an improvement in health care for transgender people and public condemnation of government representatives for spreading hate speech.
SEE ALSO:
Serbia's Conservatives Seek Textbook Ban Over 'LGBT Ideology'
“I want to live freely and authentically," said Ana Jovanovic, a member of the organizing committee, saying that as a trans woman in Serbia she faces obstacles that make her life difficult.
"My path was not easy, but I am here to raise my voice on behalf of those who cannot be heard,” she said.
Police began deploying for this year’s Belgrade Pride march, which was held under the slogan "Pride Is People," on September 6, blocking traffic on the streets in the capital that were on the march route.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Serbia in 1994, but LGBT people say they still experience repression and violence.
There were 85 incidents last year in Serbia that were motivated by hatred toward LGBT people, according to data compiled by the Da Se Zna (Let It Be Known) group, which documents violence and discrimination motivated by homophobia and transphobia. The NGO said most incidents are not reported to authorities due to distrust in institutions.
Human Rights Watch warned in a report in early 2024 that LGBT people in Serbia face intolerance, threats, and violence, and the ombudsman of Serbia highlighted on the eve of the Pride march the need for stronger institutional support for LGBT people to prevent violence and other forms of discriminatory behavior to which they are still exposed.
A proposed law that would enable LGBT people to register as partners is pending. The Green-Left Front sent the proposal to the Serbian parliament last year, but the government has not brought it up for debate.
The law would allow same-sex couples some of the basic rights heterosexual couples have with regard to property, inheritance, and decision-making in case of illness. Right-wing parties and organizations and the Serbian Orthodox Church oppose the proposed law.
President Aleksandar Vucic said in August 2023 that he would not sign it, saying it would create "some third gender where you're not a man or a woman."
Pride march held in conservative Serbia under heavy police protection
A Pride march in Serbia’s capital of Belgrade has pressed for the demand that the government improve rights for the LGBTQ+ community who often face harassment and discrimination in the highly conservative Balkan country
By JOVANA GEC
A Pride march in Serbia’s capital of Belgrade has pressed for the demand that the government improve rights for the LGBTQ+ community who often face harassment and discrimination in the highly conservative Balkan country
By JOVANA GEC
Associated Press
September 7, 2024,
BELGRADE, Serbia -- A Pride march on Saturday in Serbia's capital pressed for the demand that the populist government improve the rights of the LGBTQ+ community who often face harassment and discrimination in the highly conservative Balkan country.
The march in central Belgrade was held under heavy police protection because of possible attacks from right-wing extremists. Organizers said assailants had assaulted a young gay man in Belgrade two days ago and took away his rainbow flag in the latest incident.
Serbia is formally seeking entry into the European Union but its democratic record is poor. Serbia's LGBTQ+ community is demanding that authorities pass a law allowing same-sex partnerships and boosting other rights.
“We can't even walk freely without heavy (police) cordons securing the gathering,” said Ivana Ilic Sunderic, a resident of Belgrade.
The event on Saturday was held under the slogan ‘Pride are people.’ It also included a concert and a party after the march.
Participants carried rainbow flags and various banners as they danced to loud music played from a truck at the front. The crowd passed by the Serbian government headquarters and the National Assembly building.
Dozens of Russians, who fled the war in Ukraine and the regime of President Vladimir Putin, also could be seen at the march. Mikhail Afanasev said that it was good to be there despite the Belgrade Pride being cordoned off by police.
“I came from Russia where I am completely prohibited as person, as gay, (a) human being,” he said, referring to the pressure on gay people in Putin's Russia. "We want to love, we want to live in a free society, and to have those rights, like all other people have.”
No incidents were reported. Regional N1 television said that a small group of opponents sang nationalist and religious songs at one point along the route, carrying a banner that read: Parade-Humiliation.
Western ambassadors in Serbia, opposition politicians and liberal ministers from the Serbian government joined the event. But the right-wing Belgrade mayor openly opposed the Pride gathering.
Pride marches in Belgrade had been marked in the past by tensions and sometimes skirmishes and clashes between extremist groups and police. The populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic in 2022 first banned a pan-European pride event in Belgrade but later backed down and allowed the march to take place.
September 7, 2024,
BELGRADE, Serbia -- A Pride march on Saturday in Serbia's capital pressed for the demand that the populist government improve the rights of the LGBTQ+ community who often face harassment and discrimination in the highly conservative Balkan country.
The march in central Belgrade was held under heavy police protection because of possible attacks from right-wing extremists. Organizers said assailants had assaulted a young gay man in Belgrade two days ago and took away his rainbow flag in the latest incident.
Serbia is formally seeking entry into the European Union but its democratic record is poor. Serbia's LGBTQ+ community is demanding that authorities pass a law allowing same-sex partnerships and boosting other rights.
“We can't even walk freely without heavy (police) cordons securing the gathering,” said Ivana Ilic Sunderic, a resident of Belgrade.
The event on Saturday was held under the slogan ‘Pride are people.’ It also included a concert and a party after the march.
Participants carried rainbow flags and various banners as they danced to loud music played from a truck at the front. The crowd passed by the Serbian government headquarters and the National Assembly building.
Dozens of Russians, who fled the war in Ukraine and the regime of President Vladimir Putin, also could be seen at the march. Mikhail Afanasev said that it was good to be there despite the Belgrade Pride being cordoned off by police.
“I came from Russia where I am completely prohibited as person, as gay, (a) human being,” he said, referring to the pressure on gay people in Putin's Russia. "We want to love, we want to live in a free society, and to have those rights, like all other people have.”
No incidents were reported. Regional N1 television said that a small group of opponents sang nationalist and religious songs at one point along the route, carrying a banner that read: Parade-Humiliation.
Western ambassadors in Serbia, opposition politicians and liberal ministers from the Serbian government joined the event. But the right-wing Belgrade mayor openly opposed the Pride gathering.
Pride marches in Belgrade had been marked in the past by tensions and sometimes skirmishes and clashes between extremist groups and police. The populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic in 2022 first banned a pan-European pride event in Belgrade but later backed down and allowed the march to take place.
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