Minister: Pride Parade won’t hurt country’s reputation

BELGRADE Serbia’s Health Minister Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic says that differences exist and that they should be respected. She stressed that the holding of the gay Pride Parade would not hurt Serbia’s reputation. Minister: Pride Parade won’t hurt country’s reputation “Anybody who has the need to express any form of dissatisfaction, including the walk around the city, should be allowed to do so in the democratic Belgrade,” Djukic-Dejanovic told Tanjug. “As far as I am concerned, I do not think that the gay parade is hurting Serbia’s reputation. On the contrary,” the minister pointed out. She stressed that she actively participated in the adoption of legal acts that guaranteed the right to be different in Serbia. “I felt very good while I was working on that,” Djukic-Dejanovic added and pointed out that there was almost no topic in Serbia that did not cause extremely different positions. “We like to be divided in Serbia and there is almost no subject that we do not have extremely different opinions on and extremists on one side or the other are simply heating up an uncomfortable atmosphere when it comes to the gay parade,” the health minister noted. She said, however, that a security assessment was necessary, both for the sake of those who would participate in the Pride Parade and those who were against it. “The security risks when both sides are concerned should be avoided at all costs and we need to rely on those assessments,” Djukic-Dejanovic explained. The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) deputy leader said she was not aware of the fact that there was a gay lobby in the party, as some claimed. “I do not know about the lobby. Only those who probably belong to it or have more information about it then I do can know about the lobby,” she underscored. The Dveri Movement stated on Thursday that a strong gay lobby was active in the SPS. The Pride Parade should be held on Saturday, October 6. Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has stated that it will be decided in the next couple of days whether the parade will be held on October 6, based on the security assessments. European Parliament (EP) Delegation for Southeast Europe Eduard Kukan has stated that the EU is not asking Serbia to allow the holding of the Pride Parade but that it would help Serbia on its EU pathway. A week ahead of the parade organized by a group of LGBT activist groups, the government still has not decided whether it will allow the citizens to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights or if the parade will be cancelled due to security risks like last year. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Minister: Pride Parade won’t hurt country’s reputation

“Anybody who has the need to express any form of dissatisfaction, including the walk around the city, should be allowed to do so in the democratic Belgrade,” Đukić-Dejanović told Tanjug.

“As far as I am concerned, I do not think that the gay parade is hurting Serbia’s reputation. On the contrary,” the minister pointed out.

She stressed that she actively participated in the adoption of legal acts that guaranteed the right to be different in Serbia.

“I felt very good while I was working on that,” Đukić-Dejanović added and pointed out that there was almost no topic in Serbia that did not cause extremely different positions.

“We like to be divided in Serbia and there is almost no subject that we do not have extremely different opinions on and extremists on one side or the other are simply heating up an uncomfortable atmosphere when it comes to the gay parade,” the health minister noted.

She said, however, that a security assessment was necessary, both for the sake of those who would participate in the Pride Parade and those who were against it.

“The security risks when both sides are concerned should be avoided at all costs and we need to rely on those assessments,” Đukić-Dejanović explained.

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) deputy leader said she was not aware of the fact that there was a gay lobby in the party, as some claimed.

“I do not know about the lobby. Only those who probably belong to it or have more information about it then I do can know about the lobby,” she underscored.

The Dveri Movement stated on Thursday that a strong gay lobby was active in the SPS.

The Pride Parade should be held on Saturday, October 6.

Prime Minister Ivica Dačić has stated that it will be decided in the next couple of days whether the parade will be held on October 6, based on the security assessments.

European Parliament (EP) Delegation for Southeast Europe Eduard Kukan has stated that the EU is not asking Serbia to allow the holding of the Pride Parade but that it would help Serbia on its EU pathway.

A week ahead of the parade organized by a group of LGBT activist groups, the government still has not decided whether it will allow the citizens to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights or if the parade will be cancelled due to security risks like last year.