Legal Framework

The constitution of the Republic of Serbia has protection of Human and Minority Rights and freedoms as well as a prohibition of discrimination along section two, articles 21, 22, and 23. 

Article 21: “Everyone shall have the right to equal legal protection, without discrimination.“

Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia No 22/2009
Article 1: “This Law shall regulate the general prohibition of discrimination, the forms and cases of discrimination, as well as the methods of protection against discrimination.”

 

For more detailed information on the protection of LGBTQI+ rights in Serbia, visit the Serbia ILGA World Database.

Serbia’s Novi Sad Holds First Gay-Pride Rally

Article website
Date: May 17, 2019 11:46 GMT 
Extract from the article “The event, organized by the local nongovernmental group Exit with the support of City Hall, was held on Republic Square on May 17, which marks the official International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.”

UCLA School of Law Williams Institute

Report on transgender rights in Serbia
Article Website
Date: July 2021
Authors: Winston Luhur, Ivana Krstic, Ari Shaw  
Extract from the article: “This report analyzes data collected in the 2017 Global Attitudes Toward Transgender People survey to examine public opinion of transgender rights and status in Serbia.”

Article on the LGBTI history in Serbia

Full article website
Author: Bojana Barlovac  
Date: September 25, 2014 
Extract from the article: “A summary of the key events leading up to this year’s Pride Parade, showing
the development of lesbian and gay history in terms of social, political, and legislative change.”

UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES)

Serbia overview website link
Extract from the article:”The Penal Code was amended in 2012 to introduce hate as a crime.
Serbia remains socially conservative towards LGBTQ community.”

 

We have not found any relevant case law at this time but we welcome suggestions.

Organisations supporting LGBTQI+ individuals

Website
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Da se zna! is an organisation that offers support to LGBTTIQA community by advocating for adequate reply and solutions from the state institutions. The organisation can be contacted through the contact page on their website.

Website
Address: Str. Majke Jevrosime 42/31 Belgrade, Serbia
Telephone: +38 1 11 3227480
Email: office@lgbti-era.org

ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey is a Regional Association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer organizations from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey. Twenty-five LGBTI organizations from the region founded the Association on 15 September 2015 and granted to ERA the mandate to function as an umbrella organization at the regional and international levels. The seat of the Association is in Belgrade, Serbia.

ERA’s mission is to inspire positive change in the society, promote and advocate for human rights of people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics, by facilitating cooperation and providing resources and capacity development for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons (LGBTI) movement across the Balkans and Turkey.

Website
Facebook
Address: Belgrade, Serbia
Email: info@gsa.org.rs


Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) is an organization that carries the mission of human rights promotion and protection for all citizens of Serbia, with a particular focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons.

Website
Telephone: +38 1 65 205 97 25
Email: geten.rs@gmail.com

Geten (then Gayten-LGBT) was founded in Belgrade in 2001. It originated from the association Arkadia – gay and lesbian lobby, which was founded in 1990. After the establishment, the activists of the organization participated in the long-term project Campaign against Homophobia (1994-2000) led by Dejan Nebrigić, winner of the Felipe de Souza award. The name of the organization was inspired by Gethen, a world of androgynous beings, described in Ursula Le Guin’s book “The Left Hand of Darkness”, which had no wars and conflicts in its history.

Website
Address: 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Telephone: +38 1 60 613 0669
Email: office@xyspectrum.org

XY Spectrum was founded in 2017 in Belgrade. It is committed to promote the rights of intersex and trans people and their families, improving their position and quality of life.

 

Country of Origin experts in LGBTQI+ rights

Website
Telephone: + 38 1 11 33-444-25; 33-44-235
Email: office@yucom.org.rs

The Lawyers’ Committee For Human Rights (YUCOM) was founded in 1997 as an expert, voluntary, non-governmental organization whose members are legal experts engaged in promoting and advocating for the rule of law and compliance with human rights, raising public awareness, conceiving, establishing and leading civic initiatives, providing legal assistance to victims of human rights violations, as well as developing co-operation with national and international organisations involved in human rights’ protection and promotion.”

Serbia Legal Assistance

Find organisations providing legal assistance to refugees in Serbia.

Serbia COI

Find Serbia Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents. 

We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.

Last updated May 2022