Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Milan Antonijević, together with employees of the institution of the Commissioner, took part in this year’s Pride Parade. “The slogan of this year’s Pride, ‘There Is Room for All of Us’, in addition to its symbolism in relation to the first Pride in Serbia, carries a very important message because diversity must not be a reason for fewer rights, less dignity or less freedom. And a society’s ability to protect and respect the rights of everyone, including the rights of those with whom we disagree, is one of the important measures of a democratic society,” Antonijević emphasised.
Although much has changed over the past 25 years and Serbia has an anti-discrimination legal framework, reality cannot be ignored. The safety of Pride participants is still often discussed instead of the everyday life issues and rights of people who make up the LGBTI+ community.
“We cannot pretend that same-sex couples do not exist and that there are no problems in their everyday lives. Issues of inheritance of property and pensions, health insurance, leave for the purpose of caring for a partner, or family reunification when relocating are part of people’s real lives. They should be regulated in such a way that all citizens can exercise their rights on an equal basis. We are also obliged to do so by European equality standards and our membership in the Council of Europe,” the Commissioner said.
According to him, discrimination against LGBTI+ persons is discussed more openly today, but the number of complaints received by the institution of the Commissioner does not necessarily reflect the true scale of the problem. “Many studies, including those conducted by the Commissioner, show that there is an exceptionally high level of social distance precisely towards LGBTI+ persons. This tells us that there is probably more discrimination than is visible through the number of reported cases. People often do not report discrimination because of a lack of trust, fear of judgement and a lack of understanding from those around them, and sometimes also because of fear of their family’s reaction,” the Commissioner stated.
During 2025, the institution of the Commissioner conducted proceedings on complaints concerning discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in various areas of life – in proceedings before public authorities, in the field of public information and the media, labour and employment, education and professional development, as well as healthcare.
Many LGBTI+ persons face prejudice and stereotypes. In addition, inappropriate and offensive content present in the public and media sphere, as well as on the internet, can further encourage discrimination, hatred and violence because of someone’s actual or presumed personal characteristic. Strategic litigation is also underway, brought by the institution of the Commissioner in relation to hate speech, namely harassment and degrading treatment of LGBTI+ persons by a person who is both a doctor and a politician. “We must respond to such phenomena because speech that humiliates and excludes others does not remain merely words – it can create an environment in which discrimination and violence become more acceptable,” Antonijević said.
It is particularly concerning that recommendations of measures issued by the institution of the Commissioner in proceedings establishing discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity are complied with to a lesser extent. However, this is not a reason to give up. “Our goal is for the institution of the Commissioner to be a trusted address for all citizens whose right to dignity and equality has been denied through discrimination. Discrimination should not be tolerated – it should be recognised and reported. At the same time, we must speak more about individual rights, the position of minorities and human rights in general. Because protecting the rights of one group is not to the detriment of others – it shows how ready a society is to protect each of its members,” the Commissioner stated.
The institution of the Commissioner continuously works to remove barriers that prevent LGBTI+ persons from being equal members of our society. Numerous training sessions, workshops, lectures and training programmes have been organised with employees of the police, labour inspectorate, courts and public prosecutor’s offices. Companies are engaged in discussions on the implementation of the Equality Code, which promotes diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace, while the media are encouraged not to deepen prejudice and stereotypes towards the LGBTI+ community through their reporting, but to report professionally.
