Rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT)

In Serbia, like in many countries the world over, the continuous attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) minority groups highlight the infringement of these people’s rights to sexual freedom. The offensive, threatening slogans in the street are only the tip of the iceberg. In schools, homosexuality is treated as an “abnormal deviation” according to the denunciation of SPY, the association that provides mental and physical health care to these communities in Belgrade. Other institutions, like the Church, also contribute to the stigma and persecution suffered by these people.

Following the violent clashes between radical homophobic groups and the Serbian police who were providing protection for the first Gay Pride March in Belgrade in 2012, the Government has repeatedly forbidden its celebration, arguing questions of security. The march vindicates the freedom to meet and free expression for LGBT groups whose most basic rights are threatened. This infringement clashes head-on with the fact that Serbia not only belongs to the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but also that it aspires to join the European Union.

Film: The Parade