From September 12 to 18, Belgrade will host Europride, an international event dedicated to LBGT rights. What does this mean for Belgrade and what will the Pride procession look like?
From Pride interrupted due to violence, to marches despite the violence, to a series of Pride Parades without any incidents, but with heavy police protection – the fight for LGBT rights in Serbia has come a long way, which ultimately led to the first Europride being held in Southeast Europe.
From September 12 to 18, Belgrade will host Europride, an international event dedicated to LBGT rights, which is held every year in one of the European cities.
“This is a major turning point for the LGBTI+ community in the entire region, and will mark the beginning of a new era,” the Belgrade Europride website reports.
The organizers expect around 15,000 guests from all over Europe, as well as a large number of foreign officials. A series of other events will take place in addition to the Pride Week procession.
The Pride website also states that the LGBT+ community in the Western Balkans faces “obvious inequality and discrimination”.
A recent report by the Da se Zna organization states that in 2021, the number of attacks on LGBT+ persons increased by 40 percent compared to the previous year.
Some of the basic demands of this year’s Pride are, among other things, the prevention of violence, the adoption of the law on registered partnerships, as well as the law on gender identity.
(021.rs, 17.08.2022)