No. 07-00-182/2015-02 date: 10 July 2015

OPINION

The opinion was issued in the procedure following a complaint filed by 13 civil society organizations and one female citizen against daily newspaper “I.” due to the cover page and text published on 30 March 2015 under title “Shocking Proposal of the Ombudsman: Male Homosexuals in Serbia Adopt Children?!” In the course of the procedure was determined that this text refers to an analysis of the Draft Version of the Draft Law on Gender Equality, which, inter alia, envisages equality in exercising the right to adopt and legalize so called “surrogate mothers”. An analysis of the title and sub-title (“Shocking Proposal of the Ombudsman: Fags in Serbia Adopt Children?!”, “Disputable Provisions of the First Version of the Law on Gender Equality”, “Scandalous Framing”) showed that readers received a message that the right to adopt a child without discrimination and to the legal regulation of so called “surrogate motherhood” represents a negative social phenomenon. The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality issued an opinion that the title of text “Shocking Proposal of the Ombudsman: Male Homosexuals in Serbia Adopt Children?!”, and the sub-title of text “Scandalous Framing” published in newspaper “I.” in the edition dated 30 March 2015, contain ideas and opinions that are disturbing and degrading and that offend the dignity of persons with a sexual orientation different from heterosexual, that is, that the selection of the title and sub-title of the text violates the provisions of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination. For this reason, a recommendation was issued to newspaper “I.” not to publish in the future articles that are disturbing and degrading and which offend the dignity of male and female members of the LGBT population, and to ensure not to violate legal regulations on the prohibition of discrimination in the course of its regular operations and activities.