Belgrade to open safe houses for homosexuals

Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas has said that several safe houses for LGBT people who have been rejected by their families will soon be finished in Belgrade. “It is horrible that we live in a country in which you can read in newspapers that someone renounced their own child because they have different sexual orientation and I have not read that someone renounced their child for killing two, three people,” he said. Belgrade to open safe houses for homosexuals The Gay-Straight Alliance NGO said in a report on LGBT population’s position in Serbia for 2011 that physical violence against gays had increased by 30 percent compared to 2010. Djilas said that he had proposed that the report be presented during the election silence ahead of the presidential run-off elections, so it would be covered properly by the media. He added that pressure needed to be exerted on politicians regarding the LGBT issue. “We especially need to put pressure on those politicians who only declaratively advocate LGBT population rights but when the cameras are turned off, when there is no U.S. ambassador on the line or some of the EU member states ambassadors, their stand is much worse than those of politicians who present them publically,” the Belgrade mayor pointed out. He expressed hope that the next annual report would show that plenty had been done regarding the rights of the LGBT population and that its members would be able to live normally like all other citizens of Belgrade and Serbia. Dragan Djilas (Beta, file) Beta

Belgrade to open safe houses for homosexuals

The Gay-Straight Alliance NGO said in a report on LGBT population’s position in Serbia for 2011 that physical violence against gays had increased by 30 percent compared to 2010.

Đilas said that he had proposed that the report be presented during the election silence ahead of the presidential run-off elections, so it would be covered properly by the media.

He added that pressure needed to be exerted on politicians regarding the LGBT issue.

“We especially need to put pressure on those politicians who only declaratively advocate LGBT population rights but when the cameras are turned off, when there is no U.S. ambassador on the line or some of the EU member states ambassadors, their stand is much worse than those of politicians who present them publically,” the Belgrade mayor pointed out.

He expressed hope that the next annual report would show that plenty had been done regarding the rights of the LGBT population and that its members would be able to live normally like all other citizens of Belgrade and Serbia.