Tag Archives: Serbia

The Associated Press reports: Serbian lawmakers have elected a lesbian as the country’s first female prime minister, making history in the predominantly conservative Balkan country. Parliament voted 157-55 on Thursday to approve the government of 41-year-old Ana Brnabic, who became the nation’s first openly gay head of government. Serbia’s powerful President Aleksandar Vucic nominated the Western-educated Brnabic for the post …

The Associated Press reports: Serbia’s president on Thursday nominated the highly conservative country’s first openly gay prime minister, a move likely to infuriate both the Christian Orthodox church and ultranationalists. President Aleksandar Vucic announced that Ana Brnabic, 41, was nominated as the prime minister-designate, which could also make her the first female head of government in the country’s history. Her …

Belgrade’s pride parade resumed in 2014 after having been banned for several years after hundreds of neo-Nazis clashed violently with riot police in 2010. Yesterday’s parade was peaceful thanks to the presence of 5000 cops. Balkan Insight reports: The third Belgrade Pride Parade, which took place under the slogan “Love changes the world”, was held on Sunday with several hundred …

Finally an entry I kind of dig. Serbia gives us a diva wailer who opens slow then launches into full-on club stomper. Three years ago Bojana Stamenov, now 28, nearly won Serbia’s Got Talent with a truly smokin’ take on Chaka Khan’s I Feel 4 U.  In the second clip below are the 16 entries selected to date. So far …

Serbia’s first pride march since 2010 took place in the capital city of Belgrade this weekend as an estimated 7000 riot police with tanks blocked thousands of counter-protesters from disrupting the parade.  Pride parades had been banned due to mob violence led by neo-Nazis and members of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The activists were able to advance several hundred metres …

According to local church leaders, killer floods in Serbia and Montenegro are the result of God’s anger with Conchita Wurst’s win at Eurovision. The floods which devastated towns and cities in the Balkans, and killed at least 50 people, were a ‘punishment’ from God after drag artist Conchita Wurst won Eurovision 2014, the Patriarch and other senior figures of the …

As we know, hate group leaders Brian Brown and Scott Lively are conspirators in Russia’s pogrom against its own LGBT citizens. But the virulently anti-gay World Congress Of Families didn’t only meet in Moscow last week. Via press release today: On October 13, the delegation met in Kiev with representatives of parents groups from all over the country. The meeting …

For the third year in a row, yesterday the Serbian government banned Belgrade Pride, citing security concerns over threats of violence by neo-Nazi groups who battled hundreds of riot police at Belgrade Pride 2010. After Prime Minister Ivica Dacic announced the ban on state television, activists marched on his office. “After a long discussion on whether the march would pass …

In 2010 hundreds of Serbian riot police clashed with neo-Nazis at Belgrade Pride, resulting in over 200 arrests. The following year’s event was canceled over fears of the same and last year’s pride event was banned. This week neo-Nazis again threatened this year’s planned parade. At a September 24 press conference, an assortment of right-wing nationalist organizations, including the president …

Next week the Serbian Parliament will consider granting some rights to same-sex couples. The proposed law will be presented at a public hearing on June 4th. The draft law introduces the right of inheritance for same-sex partners who live in a long-term union. In case of the death of one of them, the other would inherit the pension of the …

Bowing to Serbia’s Orthodox Church and claiming security fears, local police have banned this weekend’s gay pride march in Belgrade.   Police said they are banning the march planned over the weekend because they fear a repeat of the violence in 2010, when right-wing groups attacked such an event in Belgrade, triggering day-long clashes with the police that left more than …

Der Spiegel says it’s a hit. The comedy “Parada” (“The Parade”) was last year’s surprise hit in the Balkans, with Serbian director Srdjan Dragojevic managing to draw 500,000 moviegoers into the theatres. It’s especially surprising when one considers that “Parada” is about a homosexual couple who wants to organize a gay pride parade in Belgrade, despite obstacles in the form …

Serbian authorities canceled this weekend’s Belgrade Pride events on Friday, saying that they could not devote the estimated 5000 riot police needed to protect parade attendees from expected neo-Nazi protesters. Yesterday police arrested six men who were found in the possession of ski masks and baseball bats. Riot police were deployed across Belgrade and other cities over the weekend to …

Saying they fear a repeat of last year’s violence, the government of Serbia has canceled this weekend’s pride celebrations. Last year Serbian riot police battled hundreds of neo-Nazi anti-gay rioters at Belgrade Pride, fighting back against hurled Molotov cocktails with stun grenades. Over 100 injuries were reported and almost 200 rioters were arrested. “The ban was issued in line with …

The neo-Nazi organizers of the violent anti-gay riot that broke out during last year’s Belgrade Pride have been sentenced to prison. Over 200 people were arrested during the melee. The Higher Court in Belgrade has sentenced far-right organization Obraz leader Mladen Obradović to two years for organizing riots during 2010 Pride Parade. His wife Jelena was sentenced to a year …

I’ve already posted all 42 entries for 2011, but since I’m picking Serbia to win, here’s a just issued English-language production video for Nina’s entry. It’s very Swing Out Sister meets Basia and sounds just as great in Serbian.

Love, love, love. My favorite so far.

Serbian riot battled hundreds of neo-Nazi anti-gay rioters at Belgrade Pride today, fighting back against hurled Molotov cocktails with stun grenades. Over 100 injuries were reported and almost 200 rioters were arrested. Thousands of police officers sealed off the streets in the capital where the march took place, repeatedly clashing at several locations with rioters who were trying to burst …

Backing down on their promise to protect marchers with thousands of riot police, the Serbian government has canceled Belgrade Pride, which was to occur this weekend for the first time since 2001. Authorities have told organizers of the Pride Parade that the safety of its participants cannot be guaranteed and that, therefore, the event cannot be held. Organizers held an …

Serbia’s last gay Pride event was in 2001, when extremists attacked participants with stones and rioted around a student center where gays had taken refuge. Subsequent attempts to restage a parade failed. But this weekend, Belgrade will try again. Orthodox Bishop Amfilohije has already warned Serbians that the event will be a “parade of shame” adding that “gay and lesbian …