East meets West is alive and kicking and we are back with a 2018 program. We will continue to support the 2nd LGBTI Business Center at the Vienna Pride Village, which promises to be bigger, more professional and with more businesses than last year. But our main focus will be on our 4th International East meets West Conference with a surprising, innovating and inspiring theme: "Faces of Modern Diversity“.

OMSA and Victory Institute have commissioned this research on political participation and representation of LGBTI people in Albania. It aims to identify the existing reality and suggest entry points to improve and facilitate the participation and representation of LGBTI people in politics.

OMSA and Victory Institute have commissioned this research on political participation and representation of LGBTI people in Albania. It aims to identify the existing reality and suggest entry points to improve and facilitate the participation and representation of LGBTI people in politics.

ERA’s Annual General Assembly is the biggest LGBTI event organized in the region since 2015. The conference is a lobby, advocacy, capacity building and visibility event which brings together more than 160 participants from across the region, Europe and beyond. LGBTI activists, state officials (governments, Parliaments, equality bodies etc.), donors, researchers, journalists, diplomatic community, representatives of international organizations and members of the local community attend the event.  

Širom Zapadnog Balkana, lezbejske, gej, biseksualne, transseksualne i interseks (LGBTI) osobe bore se za svoja prava da vode normalan život. Dok još uvek postoje zakoni i mere koje kriminalizuju i diskriminišu, nasilje i govor mržnje zasnovan na seksualnoj orijentaciji i rodnom identitetu, potrebno je još mnogo toga učiniti kako bi se postiglo puno razumevanje i jednakost.

Ovaj izvještaj je dio regionalnog projekta “Biti LGBTI osoba u Istočnoj Evropi” koji implementira UNDP a podržava USAID. Projekak se provodi u partnerstvu sa organizacijama civilnog društva i u saradnji sa organizacijom LGBTI Equal Rights Association (ERA). U Bosni i Hercegovini izvještaj je nastao u saradnji sa partnerskim organizacijama Sarajevski otvoreni centar i Action Against Aids iz Banja Luke.

This factsheet summarizes main findings of the country reports covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia. 

Across the Western Balkans, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex (LGBTI) people are fighting for their rights to lead a normal life. While there have been laws and measures passed to criminalize discrimination, violent acts and hate speech based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), there is much more that needs to be done in order to achieve full recognition and equality.

Serbia

Serbia has adopted a wide anti-discriminatory legal framework. However, there are legal gaps that leave the rights of LGBTI people unregulated, including the rights of same-sex partners and access to documents for trans people.