Serbia gay marriage
A person waves a flag during the European LGBTQ celebration 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 endorse same-sex marriage
- Serbia among European nations with no civil union law
- Orthodox leaders challenge progress on Homosexual rights
- Activists hope Greek gay marriage rule boosts their fight
LONDON - Stefana Budimirovic and Radica Stevanov share a dwelling and dreams of starting a family, but the queer woman 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) specify needs to be on the paperwork for the residence, we need 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
Battle for same-sex unions in Serbia continues
Yet, as in advance as , Serbia got its first openly queer woman prime minister. Two years later, Ana Brnabić became the first head of the government to own a child with a same-sex partner while in office. One might believe the country had turned into the most gay-friendly destinations, but the actual world is far away from it. Same-sex partnerships continue 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 tackle the same problems, while neighbouring Croatia and Montenegro adopted similar laws, monitoring 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 people with a partner regardless of whether we approve wi
An Uncertain Step Toward Marriage Equality
In Arcadia’s bulletin, which was the first lesbian and male lover association in Serbia, the following was reported from an International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) held in Helsinki in
Partnership and parenthood are of superb importance for homosexuals in Europe because except in a rare countries such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, it is not possible to legally marry people of the same sex in other countries, leading to discrimination in certain life situations, for example when it comes to matters of property, making decisions on medical interventions, adoption, mutual parenthood, as well as other social benefits that only spouses are entitled to () There is a transitional version in the Netherlands, where there is no marriage but there is something called a registered partnership, and going to a certain office to have their status legally recognized is enough and it is pretty similar to marital status.
Apparently, the author of the report confused activist plans with the real situation. The Netherlands
Stefana Budimirovic and Radica Stevanov share a home and dreams of starting a family, but the female homosexual 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 property, we need to be legally covered.”
But Greece’s ruling 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 smartphone from the couple’s residence 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