Archive: 16.06.2020

Podgorica, PR press service – The Law on Same-Sex Partnerships Must Be Urgently Adopted, concluded at the meeting of the Coalition “Together for LGBT Rights,” which will focus on efforts to reduce prejudice and increase societal acceptance of LGBTI individuals.

The President of the Board of Directors of Queer Montenegro, Danijel Kalezić, stated that the Coalition “Together for LGBT Rights” was founded in 2010, and that on its tenth anniversary, a call was made for the urgent adoption of the Law on Same-Sex Partnerships.

“The Coalition ‘Together for LGBT Rights’ will continue to grow and address all issues that are important for LGBTI individuals. Over the past ten years, we have achieved a lot, and Montenegro is now a bright spot on the Rainbow map with regard to legal regulations, strategies, and official policies. However, where we are still lagging is in societal acceptance of LGBTI individuals,” Kalezić pointed out.

He further explained that the Coalition’s future work will focus on efforts to reduce prejudice and increase the social acceptance of LGBTI individuals, “while ensuring the completion of the legal framework and legal equality.”

“To achieve freedom and to have in real life what is written on paper, we must all create the conditions where all LGBTI individuals can express their sexual orientation and gender identity without fear,” Kalezić emphasized.

The General Director of the Directorate for the Advancement and Protection of Human Rights at the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, Blanka Radošević-Marović, expressed pride in being a member of the Coalition since its founding, noting its significant contributions to raising awareness about the rights of LGBTI individuals.

“A five-year strategy was implemented, and the second one is already underway. In the legislative area, we have made significant progress. The Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination now includes a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as a ban on discrimination based on gender change and against intersex individuals. This is one of the reasons why we are well ranked on the European map,” Radošević-Marović noted.

She expressed hope that the conditions are now in place and that the awareness of certain members of the Montenegrin Parliament has matured to a democratic level, and they will vote for the Law on Same-Sex Partnerships.

However, as she noted, the challenge remains the societal attitude toward LGBTI individuals.

“Things have significantly changed here as well, and research shows this. It is clear that in the past ten years, the level of resistance to the LGBT population has decreased significantly, but there is still much work to be done and many challenges ahead, especially when it comes to the general acceptance of LGBTI individuals in Montenegrin society,” Radošević-Marović said.

The Executive Director of the “Spektra” Association, Jovan Ulićević, mentioned that his organization is a new member of the Coalition and expressed his excitement to participate in a movement that represents solidarity and collective action by various NGOs and institutions.

“What I expect is solidarity and intersectionality. It is very important that the concept of solidarity and intersectionality is increasingly heard in our society, and that it means different identities, expertise, and perspectives working together to bring about meaningful change. This change doesn’t only improve the quality of life for a specific group of people but recognizes that we, LGBTI individuals, belong to different groups in society. We exist in all social layers, and in this way, we can actively work toward ensuring that the lives of all individuals have the quality that embodies dignity and respect,” Ulićević explained.

He believes that solidarity is one of the few things that can help make Montenegrin society better.

“The idea of a society where we are all equal is still far from realization, but I believe it is not impossible. We all contribute in a chain reaction to live in the society we envision,” Ulićević concluded.

Source: PR Centar