Belgrade Pride Held Under Slogan ‘Love is Law’, EuroPride 2022 Awaits

Belgrade Pride was held on Saturday 18th September in the Serbian capital, which served as a prelude for organisers preparing to host Europe’s biggest Pride event next year.

The slogan for this year’s Pride was “Love is Law,” in reference to efforts by LGBTI+ activists and organisations to adopt the Law on Same Sex Unions in Serbia. Negotiations on such legislation with the government have stalled in recent weeks and Pride was an opportunity to once again raise awareness for this continued struggle.

Speaking at the march, Civil Rights Defenders Director for Europe and MENA, and member of Belgrade Pride organising board, Goran Miletić said “We have been fighting for this Law on Same Sex for the past 20 years. While progress has been noted recently, the drafting and adoption stages in particular have been far too slow. Our demand is that by the next Pride, EuroPride 2022 (17 September) which will be held outside the EEA for the first time ever, the government adopts this legislation, without further delays.

On Saturday afternoon, moments before the Pride march began, Civil Rights Defenders released results from a public opinion poll, according to which two-thirds of Serbia’s citizens’ support the right for Pride to be held peacefully in Belgrade. This was part of our wider polling of citizens’ views on LGBTI+ rights and issues in the Western Balkans. Earlier in the year, we published results showing that the majority of citizens’ support the rights anticipated by the Law on Same Sex Union.

As part of Pride Week, Civil Rights Defenders organised two events:

Effective Inclusion of LGBTI+ Persons

International human rights conference which brought together representatives of the government, international institutions, and human rights organisations in a discussion on LGBTI+ inclusion efforts in Serbia, and beyond. Speaking at the event, Serbia’s Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Gordana Čomić said that “It’s not a question of if the Law on Same Sex Union is adopted, but when.”

Belgrade Pride Forum 2021

Annual event discussing challenges and celebrating achievements of Pride movements across Europe, contributions by diplomatic community and private sector, followed by the premiere screening of ‘Welcome to Chechnya’ film.