The Regional info centre and Gayten-LGBT addressed the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, Ms Brankica Janković, with a complaint against the daily newspaper „Srpski telegraf“ on account of discrimination based on sexual orientation. The complaint was filed because of the cover page and its contents  „Alarming disclosure of doctors: Gays spreading aids all over Serbia“, the article titled „Gays spreading HIV throughout Serbia“, headline of this article „Anal sex and homosexual relations culprits for the increase in the number of infected“, the photo of two young men walking one behind the other, while the youngster walking in front ostensibly „says“: „Be a train and I will be a locomotive!“ and a sidebar „A shortcut to sex“, published in “Serbian telegraf” on April 16, 2016, as well as because of the front page „Patriarch for Srpski telegraf: Gays are sick! That problem must be eradicated!“, and the title of article „Patriarch about LGBT strike on Srpski telegraf- Being a gay is a grave illness, we must eradicate it“, published in the same newspaper on  April 18, 2016.

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality has issued the opinion that the daily newspaper “Srpski telegraf” violated the regulations of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination because such media content expressed ideas and viewpoints which are disturbing and humiliating and insult dignity of persons of different sexual orientation than that of heterosexual. Together with the opinion, the Commissioner has given the appropriate recommendations to the editor in chief of the daily “Srpski telegraf”, in order to avoid the infringement of rights: to invite to a meeting the representatives of organizations which filed the complaint , so as to learn firsthand which problems the LGBT persons have to face in everyday life, as well as how this type of reporting affected them, and not to publish in the future the texts insulting the dignity of members of LGBT population and  to notify the Commissioner on the implementation of this decision within the legal deadline.

Since the editor in chief of the daily newspaper “Srpski telegraf” has not acted on the recommendation, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, pursuant to the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, hereby notifies the public accordingly.