Time: Monday, June 2, 2025, from 5:45 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: European House, corner of Knez Mihailova and Zmaj Jovina, Belgrade

Since 2016, when Ana Brnabić became the first publicly out lesbian to serve as Prime Minister of Serbia, same-sex families have gained visibility in the public sphere. However, nearly a decade later, the legal framework of the Republic of Serbia still does not recognize such unions. As a result, the factual existence of same-sex families remains at odds with their lack of formal legal status.

In addition to this legislative gap, there is also a lack of institutional support for families that already exist. It is a paradox that women without male partners—lesbians included—can become mothers through medically assisted reproduction, but the legal status of the second parent is not acknowledged.

In response to this legal uncertainty and the numerous challenges that same-sex families face, the organization Labris – Lesbian Human Rights Group – has launched a support group called Rainbow Families, which now has over 50 members. The group includes people who wish to start a family or are already raising children, and it provides a space for sharing information, mutual support, and access to legal and psychological assistance. In a context of systemic invisibility, this group is one of the few refuges for parents who cannot count on institutional protection.

One often overlooked consequence of the lack of a law on same-sex unions is the inability to access systemic protection in cases of partner violence. Although same-sex couples live together and share a home and life, they are not legally recognized as a family. This means that many protective measures—such as restraining orders, removal of the perpetrator from the shared home, or even the ability to report violence as domestic—remain out of reach, deepening feelings of invisibility and insecurity.

At the panel, we will discuss the everyday experiences of parenting within same-sex partnerships, the challenges these families face, possibilities for legal reform, and ways to overcome discrimination.

Speakers:

Jelisaveta Blagojević, philosopher and professor at the Faculty of Media and Communications in Belgrade

Aleksandra Gavrilović, education program coordinator at Labris – Lesbian Human Rights Group

Marjana Majstorović, attorney from Belgrade with years of experience representing LGBT+ individuals in family law and anti-discrimination cases. In cooperation with Labris, she leads strategic litigation before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg related to the legal recognition of same-sex families in Serbia—including cases concerning the registration of foreign same-sex marriages, parenthood, and the protection of family life.

Moderator: Dušan Maljković, coordinator of the Center for Queer Studies.

The panel is organized by the Center for Queer Studies and the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Belgrade, with the support of the European House in Belgrade.

We invite you to join this conversation about rights, visibility, and the everyday lives of same-sex families in Serbia.