On the occasion of 17 May, International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, reiterated that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity is both unpermitted and prohibited by the law.

Transsexual and transgender persons belong to a particularly vulnerable group which is, in some cases, exposed to violence and physical assaults, making it even more important for state authorities to respond efficiently and in a timely fashion so as to protect the safety of such persons.

In the previous period thee such brutal attacks occurred against trans persons, which gives us reason to repeat and stress that every form of violence, abuse, threats and hate speech is prohibited and disallowed.

Although some progress has been made in respecting rights of LGBT persons and these topics are gaining public attention, the Commissioner calls on the media outlets to convey neither discriminatory views and attitudes nor hate speech directed against this social group, to report without resorting to sensationalism and to respect the highest ethical standards enshrined in the Code of Conduct for Journalist in Serbia.