Serbia’s Divided Gays Plan Separate Parades

Two separate 'Pride' parades, one in June and another in September, will be organised in Belgrade this year, reflecting divisions within Serbian LGBT organisations.

Last year’s Belgrade Pride. Photo: Beta

Three Serbian LGBT organisations will hold a Pride Parade on June 24, breaking away from the traditional Belgrade Pride held in September, which they claim is not focusing enough on the needs of the community.

“We are not calling on politicians and ambassadors, we’re organizing for the LGBT community itself, as well as for friends, relatives, mothers and fathers,” Predrag Azdejkovic from the Gay-Lesbian Info Centre, one of the organisers of the June parade, said.

Azdejkovic told BIRN that the focus should not be on prominent individuals who attend the Pride Parade, but on the community’s demands.

Organisers of the June Pride want the state to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy towards violence against LGBT persons and allow same-sex unions, according to Azdejkovic.

They also demand more professionalism from members of the police towards the LGBT community and consistency in prosecuting hate crimes.

One other demand is to enable trans persons to change their personal IDs simply and quickly.

However, Goran Miletic, from Belgrade Pride, said that the June event would not be a “real” Pride Parade, but only a “minor event”.

“The only official Pride is in September, but [I wish them] all the best, make as many [parades] as possible,” Miletic told BIRN.

He added that he believes the other parade will be “unnoticed” by the public, but will not damage the struggle for equal rights.

The Pride Weekend from June 23 to 26 is being organised by the associations Egal, Loud&Queer and the Gay-Lesbian Info Centre.

The first Belgrade Pride Parade in 2001 was disrupted by large numbers of far-right nationalists who attacked and beat up the participants.

In 2010, the parade went ahead, but several thousand young people caused mayhem on the streets, throwing stones and missiles, injuring police officers and setting buildings and vehicles on fire.

During the riots, 132 policemen and 25 members of the public were injured, while 250 people were arrested.

In 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, the Pride marches were banned as the authorities said they could not protect the participants.

But in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the marches passed off without incident, after officials warned that violence would not be tolerated and after police maintained a high-profile presence, deploying armoured vehicles and a helicopter to prevent any attacks.