Discussion on the Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Partnerships Held During Pride Week

As part of Pride Week, which took place from August 31 to September 6, a Community Talk was held on Friday, September 4, focusing on Belgrade Pride’s first demand: the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships.

The discussion focused on how the lack of legal recognition affects the everyday lives of same-sex couples, what can be learned from the 2021 legislative process, and what legal and institutional steps are needed to ensure legal certainty, equality, and the protection of family life.

At the beginning of the event, the Acting Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Evgenia Giakumopoulou, addressed the participants.

The discussion featured Council of Europe expert Dragoslava Barzut, Filip Vulović from Belgrade Pride, and Vladimir Savić, who spoke about existing legal gaps, experiences from previous attempts to introduce legislation, and possible ways to strengthen the protection of the rights of same-sex couples in Serbia.

The event was held with the support of the project “Combating Discrimination and Promoting Diversity in Serbia,” which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.”