THEGAYUK

Tag: Serbia News

Get the latest LGBT+ Serbia news from THEGAYUK. Breaking news, features and interviews from the gay community in Serbia.

  • Serbia’s first female PM could fail to become leader despite nomination

    Although Ana Brnabić was nominated by Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić, to become the first woman and openly lesbian Prime Minister she may fail to get enough votes from the Country’s politicians.

    Ana Brnabić was nominated by Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić last week and is set to become Serbia’s first female PM but also the country’s first out lesbian leader. However, her leadership could come unstuck if Serbia’s politicians fail to vote for the 41-year-old. According to PinkNews, some are allegedly refusing to vote for her, because of her sexuality.

    If this happens, a public election could happen, putting her future into the hands of the Country.

    Serbia has a relatively poor history on gay right’s matters, having only legalised same-sex sexual activity in 1994. The country does not have any recognitions for same-sex partners and gay marriage is constitutionally banned.

    President Vučić has met with 100 of Parliament’s 250 politics, apparently securing their votes, but she still needs 26 more votes to become the Prime Minister.

    Ms Brnabić has had a quick rise to the top having been elected as the Minister of Public Administration and Local State Governments in 2016.

    Politicians were due to vote this week on whether Ms Brnabić becomes the next PM, however, the vote has been pushed back.

     

  • Who are the gay and lesbian Prime Ministers of Europe?

    European countries have had the most openly gay and lesbian leaders, with five openly out being elected into power since 2009.

    Who are the openly gay prime ministers of the world?

    To our knowledge, there have not been any openly bisexual or transgender leaders. There have been five openly gay and lesbian leaders.

     

    Iceland

    Iceland was the first country in Europe to elect an openly lesbian leader with Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, she served from the 1st of February 2009 until the 23rd May 2013. She was part of the Social Democratic Alliance in Iceland. She is married to Jónína Leósdóttir. They have been together since 2002.

    Belgium

    Belgium elected Elio Di Rupo was Prime Minster from the 6th December 2011 until October 2014. Di Rupo came out as gay in 1996, during a press pack conference in which he was asked if he was gay, he responded, “Yes. So what?” He is the first openly gay man to lead a sovereign state, and the first openly gay man to win the position in his own right pursuant to an election

    Luxembourg

    Luxembourg was the next country to elect an openly gay man with Xavier Bettel being elected on 2nd December 2013. He is still in power.

    Ireland

    On the 13th June Ireland made Leo Varadkar Prime Minister. He is the youngest Prime Minster of Ireland.

    Serbia

    On the 15th June, Serbia got its first lesbian and female Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić. MsBrnabić is a 41-year-old graduate of the University of Hull.

     

     

  • Europe gets second gay Prime Minister this week

    Europe gets second gay Prime Minister this week

    The times are changing.

    Serbia has just got an openly lesbian Prime Minister in a duo of firsts.

    President Aleksandar Vučić announced the appointment of Ana Brnabić today, the second openly lesbian head of Government and the fifth openly gay head of government in the world. She is also Serbia’s first female Prime Minister.

    MsBrnabić is a 41-year-old graduate of the University of Hull. The news comes hot on the tails of Ireland’s brand new Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

    Ms Brnabić has had a quick rise to the top having been elected as the Minister of Public Administration and Local State Governments in 2016.

    Serbia has a relatively poor history on gay right’s matters, having only legalised same-sex sexual activity in 1994. The country does not have any recognitions for same-sex partners and gay marriage is constitutionally banned.

     

     

  • German Gay Rights Activist Attacked in Belgrade.

    German gay rights activist who took part in a gay rights conference in Belgrade, Serbia, was severely beaten on Saturday 13th September 2014, suffering life threatening head injuries. The name of the victim has not yet been released, but reports from the Serbian Police, gay rights activists and the German Ambassador confirm the story, according to the Associated Press.

    Jovanka Todorovic, from the Labris Gay and Lesbian Group, told the Associated Press that the man was attacked and beaten around the head with a glass ashtray, whilst his attackers shouted “we don’t want foreigners in Belgrade”. The attack left him with internal bleeding and head injuries.

    Heinz Georg Wilhelm, the German ambassador to Serbia, stated that the man was “awake, but that it [was] still too early to say something”. He added that “If it’s true that the attacker said that he does not want foreigners in Serbia; that gives a new xenophobic dimension to the whole incident”.

    Protesting the attack, hundreds of gay rights supported marched in downtown Belgrade on Saturday, carrying signs saying “Stop the Violence” and “Your Policies, Our Blood”. Anti-riot police were present to protect the demonstrators.

    The incident comes two weeks before the first gay pride march to take place in the city since disturbances between police and anti-gay far-right groups halted the events four years ago.

    The Interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic pledged that police will identify the attackers, confirming that he has ordered an intensive investigation so that the attackers are brought to justice. The BBC reports that three men have been arrested, but no further details are known.

    Serbia has repeatedly pledged to protect human rights as it seeks membership of the European Union.

    Serbian officials have previously prevented LGBT-Rights demonstrations, claiming that they could not control the anti-LGBT violence, but whether this may impact on their inclusion in the EU remains to be seen.