Serbia gay marriage

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 recognize 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 residence, we need to be legally covered.”

But Greece’s decision last month to legalize same-sex marriage – becoming the first Orthodox Christian nation to do so – has raised hopes of rights gains among LGBTQ+ people in other mainly Orthodox countries in the Balkans, such as Serbia.

“It does give me hope for our future here as well [but] Serbia is so far behind, with so much work to do in order for us to be accepted as equal,” Budimirovic told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by handset from the couple’s house in the town of Stara Pazova.

Despite having an openly lesbian prime minister, Serbia – a nation of about million that has been a candidate for E

Serbia is Ready for Law on Same Sex Union, Poll Finds Strong Back for LGBTI+ Rights

In supporting the development of the Law on Same-Sex Union in Serbia, Civil Rights Defenders is publishing results of a public belief poll conducted on key issues related to LGBTI+ rights.

Graphs highlighting the key findings and the study methodology are available here.

Key findings

  • While support for same-sex ‘marriage’ remains low (26%), when broken down into individual rights anticipated to be regulated by the Law on Same Sex Union, there is widespread support for each right (59%%)
  • 80% of citizens feel LGBTI+ persons should possess at least some rights anticipated to be regulated by the Law on Same Sex Union, the second highest among all Western Balkan countries (after Montenegro, which adopted legislation on same-sex registered partnerships in )
  • In the case of almost every right, support is significantly higher among younger () and University-educated respondents from Belgrade and Vojvodina.
  • Attitudes towards almost all issues related to the LGBTI+ community have re

    Battle for same-sex unions in Serbia continues

    Yet, as promptly as , Serbia got its first openly lesbian prime minister. Two years later, Ana Brnabić became the first head of the government to possess a child with a same-sex partner while in office. One might reflect the country had turned into the most gay-friendly destinations, but the reality is far away from it. Same-sex partnerships verb elusive, all the more so when it comes to marriages or kid adoption.

    "Our country with our lesbian prime minister is the textbook example of pinkwashing," one activist from Serbia said under the condition of anonymity. Their colleagues in Bosnia encounter the same problems, while neighbouring Croatia and Montenegro adopted similar laws, following the European Union recommendation.

    "I'm not a fan of marriage as an institution, but I'm interested in having the right to choose. If they [hetero couples] have the right of choice, and I do not, how could I ever feel comfortable? It is important to have the right to choose whether or not to form a community with a partner regardless of whether we consent wi

    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 fight 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 require 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