The global Pride Month of June was concluded today in Belgrade with a panel discussion supported by European Union and Council of Europe, on the human rights situation of LGBTQI+ people in Serbia, one year since Belgrade hosted for the first time the Southeast EuroPride 2022, an event which left a mark in the history of European Pride movement and LGBTQI+ rights in Serbia, Southeast region and beyond.
In his opening remarks Tobias Flessenkemper, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade stated that progress made by Serbia over the past years is mired by persisting homo/transphobia which is being spread by opportunistic and anti-human rights actors, online and offline. "Discrimination and social exclusion on account of sexual orientation or gender identity may best be overcome by measures targeted both at those who experience such discrimination or exclusion, and the population at large. That is why the Council of Europe supports Serbia in advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ people as part of the joint action with the European Union”, Flessenkemper underlined.
Dr Koen Slootmaeckers from City, University of London emphasised the importance of stronger government support to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people in Serbia. “We need not only more positive action from the government in terms of legislative change, but also to educate the wider population. There is a need for better access to justice as well as more community support for victims of discrimination and hate crime”, said Slootmaeckers.
Evgenia Giakoumopoulou, Head of the Council of Europe’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Unit (SOGI), noted the continued polarisation in Europe over the rights of LGBTQI+ persons accompanied by a stark increase in hate speech and hate crime. “This backlash affects the communities targeted by the LGBTQI+-phobic violence, often already marginalised, but also society at large, as it is a symptom of the erosion of democratic values. It is now evident that the fuelling of prejudice and scapegoating of LGBTQI+ people is often an entry-point for a broader anti human rights agenda. The Council of Europe remains determined to support its member States in upholding their obligations, resisting the human rights backsliding and effectively advancing towards inclusive, safe and diverse societies.” concluded Giakoumopoulou .
Biljana Ginova, the Skopje-based LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Defender, expressed her regret about Serbia’s very limited progress in fighting discrimination, largely due to the instrumentalisation of LGBTIQ+ people for political gains. She further remarked that despite all that the LGBTIQ+ communities remain visible, united, and in solidarity with one another and other oppressed and marginalised groups. “This remarkable tenacity serves as a powerful reminder that our hope for a better future lies in embracing politics rooted in cohesion, empathy, and solidarity, particularly with those most marginalised and oppressed by intersecting systems of discrimination.", said Ginova in her address.
Miloš Kovačević, the Legal Empowerment Coordinator of the “Da se zna!” association, focused on the safety situation of LGBTIQ+ community in Serbia. According to him, at least one incident motivated by homophobia and/or transphobia occurs every four days. “Two-thirds of the incidents documented by the “Da se zna!” association are invisible to the police, prosecutors, and courts. Reporting on these incidents opens space for the voices of survivors that would otherwise go unheard. This way, we are making the scope of security problems faced by the queer community clear to the relevant authorities, international organizations, and the general public, thereby preventing pink-washing of our reality.”, stressed Kovačević
The panel discussion was organised within the framework of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint action “Combating discrimination and promoting diversity in Serbia”, which is a part of the programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”. The action will continue supporting the implementation and enforcement of legislation relating to the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons in Serbia, as well as addressing social exclusion, discrimination, and stigmatisation.
