Ana Brnabić becomes President of Serbia
She becomes the first openly queer leader of a Balkan country.
Ana Brnabić has long been one of the most visible women in Serbian politics.
Being in a same-sex relationship doesn't appear to have impeded her ambitions - she was appointed as the country's Prime Minister in 2017.
The recent resignation of Aleksandar Vučić now sees Brnabić stepping up to become the President of Serbia - sworn in on 28 September.
The appointment is a temporary one - Serbia will be going to the polls in the coming months. The mechanics are a bit complicated but it appears that Brnabić will perform a caretaker role and won't be contesting the vote for Prime Minister or President. It's not clear where her focus will be once that process has been completed.
Brnabić is a member of the Serbian Progressive Party. While she is open about her sexuality, she has been criticised by the country's LGBTQ community for not prioritising reforms that would deliver equality for queer people.
What's life like for LGBTQ people in Serbia?
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Serbia? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
Is homosexuality legal in Serbia?
Yes.
The history of Serbia is fairly complex, but in simple terms homosexuality was decriminalised in 1994.
Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Serbia?
Yes. Comprehensive anti-discrimination protections came into effect in 2009.
Is there Marriage Equality in Serbia?
No. There is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Serbia. The constitution explicitly limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Serbia?
Serbia is a socially conservative country, and homophobia remains widespread.
LGBTQ people are threatened with violence and Pride events are met with protests by conservative religious groups and nationalist extremists.
In the recent recent ILGA report on LGBTQ equality in Europe, Serbia ranked in 29th position overall. Scoring 33.76%, Serbia scored reasonably well on the criteria of Equality & Non-discrimination and also Civil Society Space, but lost points on all other criteria.
Gareth Johnson