To EU without homos
10/11/2005
By
Labris - organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava
All political parties in Serbia decidedly reject the suggestion to legalize homosexual marriages and allow children adoption. 11 October 2005
Without discrimination
The president of the Board for Gender Equality, Lejla Ruždić-Trifunović does not believe that the legalization of homosexual marriages would soon enter the Parliament agenda.
- If this represents a condition for entering the EU then all member states would have legalized homosexual unions, and this is not the case. However, the EU forbids any form of discrimination and especially that based on sex. Moreover, this means, do not persecute them, do not beat them, and do not take into account sexual orientation in employment and education… I am against any form of human rights disregard and discrimination but I am not sure in what direction would my vote go should such a law be on the agenda. However, this issue would certainly not be in the Parliament soon – said this Democratic Party member.
BELGRADE - Goran Miletić from the Swedish Helsinki Committee for human rights stated yesterday that Serbia would have to legalize homosexual marriages during the next four years if we want to enter the European Union! According to Miletic's estimate, homosexuals are particularly discriminated against with the current Marriage and Marital Relations Law.
- This legislation does not explicitly forbid the same-sex oriented persons to adopt children, but practically there is not any possibility for a gay man or a lesbian to adopt a child. They are also discriminated against when divorcing since the courts do not allow them custody over their children – stated Miletic. He added that there is a ‘non stopping trend’ within the EU to legalize homosexual marriages as well as there is pressure coming from the EU to the candidate states to do the same.
Not a condition for Europe
Nevertheless, the Serbian parliamentarians do not agree that the legalization of gay and lesbian marriages represents a condition for entering the EU and they do not see in any farther perspective this issue on the agenda of the Serbian Parliament. Mentioning that they are against any form of discrimination and endangering human rights, none of the parliamentarian parties in Serbia supports marriages of homos and women who do not love men, and categorically reject the possibility of children adoption.
President of the European Integration Board, Ksenija Milivojević states for Kurir that interpretation of legalization homosexual marriages is senseless as a condition to enter the EU.
- By now, only four European member states have done this. It is true that the condition to enter the EU represents non-discrimination, which assumes that sexual orientation does not represent a condition with employment that is that homosexuals must not be persecuted in any way.
- As far as I am concerned if they care to be married, let them. However, I am against they be allowed to adopt children. Maybe there the children would have maximum attention in a homosexual union yet I think that this is a unhealthy surrounding for growing up, since the parents represent some behavioral model for children – states Milivojevic.
Premier Vojislav Koštunica party, according to the statement of the Head of the MP group Miloš Aligrudić, does not have an official attitude on this subject neither do they see it in the near future as a subject for the Parliament debate.
- I have not thought about this. Personally, I am against any discrimination but the question is posed – what is the society interest? I think that the marriages between homosexuals are certainly not. The legalization of homosexual marriages and allowing them to adopt children is not in accordance with our customs and moral understandings and we are still far away from some broader public discussion on the subject – states Aligrudic.
The socialists are also against homosexual marriages and they state that the legalization of such unions just encourages homosexuals, which is not in the interest of our society.
- Many European countries do not adopt such laws, why then would one patriarchal Serbia do it?! Well, even the California governor, world famous actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently forbidden homosexuals to adopt children and Serbia which is threatened by low natal rate should allow them this?!
- Why, in Belgrade, there are only 15,000 to 17,000 children being born yearly and we should not mention Eastern Serbia. Forgive me, but between new generation and western trend I always choose the survival of the nation. In addition, why not say it, is there anything more beautiful than the love between a woman and a man!? – Zoran Andjelkovic, general secretary of the Serbian Socialist Party (SPS) sincerely concludes.
NS against the perverts
The New Serbia party is categorically against “such pervert marriages” as their speaker Dubravka Filipovski states it.
- We need to cherish the traditional family as a basic cell of the society, and I believe that the majority in Serbia is keen to this idea. Anyway, even the Serbian Orthodox Church is against the same-sex marriages and this is another important reason why NS is against it, she concludes.
In the end, Radical party member Aleksandar Vučić is against any form of violence against homosexuals but does not support gay and lesbian marriages and the idea of their adopting children.
- A family which is composed of a husband, wife and their children is the basic pole of any society, and that is something that needs to be cherished – Vučić stresses.
(D. I.)
Without discrimination
The president of the Board for Gender Equality, Lejla Ruždić-Trifunović does not believe that the legalization of homosexual marriages would soon enter the Parliament agenda.
- If this represents a condition for entering the EU then all member states would have legalized homosexual unions, and this is not the case. However, the EU forbids any form of discrimination and especially that based on sex. Moreover, this means, do not persecute them, do not beat them, and do not take into account sexual orientation in employment and education… I am against any form of human rights disregard and discrimination but I am not sure in what direction would my vote go should such a law be on the agenda. However, this issue would certainly not be in the Parliament soon – said this Democratic Party member.
BELGRADE - Goran Miletić from the Swedish Helsinki Committee for human rights stated yesterday that Serbia would have to legalize homosexual marriages during the next four years if we want to enter the European Union! According to Miletic's estimate, homosexuals are particularly discriminated against with the current Marriage and Marital Relations Law.
- This legislation does not explicitly forbid the same-sex oriented persons to adopt children, but practically there is not any possibility for a gay man or a lesbian to adopt a child. They are also discriminated against when divorcing since the courts do not allow them custody over their children – stated Miletic. He added that there is a ‘non stopping trend’ within the EU to legalize homosexual marriages as well as there is pressure coming from the EU to the candidate states to do the same.
Not a condition for Europe
Nevertheless, the Serbian parliamentarians do not agree that the legalization of gay and lesbian marriages represents a condition for entering the EU and they do not see in any farther perspective this issue on the agenda of the Serbian Parliament. Mentioning that they are against any form of discrimination and endangering human rights, none of the parliamentarian parties in Serbia supports marriages of homos and women who do not love men, and categorically reject the possibility of children adoption.
President of the European Integration Board, Ksenija Milivojević states for Kurir that interpretation of legalization homosexual marriages is senseless as a condition to enter the EU.
- By now, only four European member states have done this. It is true that the condition to enter the EU represents non-discrimination, which assumes that sexual orientation does not represent a condition with employment that is that homosexuals must not be persecuted in any way.
- As far as I am concerned if they care to be married, let them. However, I am against they be allowed to adopt children. Maybe there the children would have maximum attention in a homosexual union yet I think that this is a unhealthy surrounding for growing up, since the parents represent some behavioral model for children – states Milivojevic.
Premier Vojislav Koštunica party, according to the statement of the Head of the MP group Miloš Aligrudić, does not have an official attitude on this subject neither do they see it in the near future as a subject for the Parliament debate.
- I have not thought about this. Personally, I am against any discrimination but the question is posed – what is the society interest? I think that the marriages between homosexuals are certainly not. The legalization of homosexual marriages and allowing them to adopt children is not in accordance with our customs and moral understandings and we are still far away from some broader public discussion on the subject – states Aligrudic.
The socialists are also against homosexual marriages and they state that the legalization of such unions just encourages homosexuals, which is not in the interest of our society.
- Many European countries do not adopt such laws, why then would one patriarchal Serbia do it?! Well, even the California governor, world famous actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently forbidden homosexuals to adopt children and Serbia which is threatened by low natal rate should allow them this?!
- Why, in Belgrade, there are only 15,000 to 17,000 children being born yearly and we should not mention Eastern Serbia. Forgive me, but between new generation and western trend I always choose the survival of the nation. In addition, why not say it, is there anything more beautiful than the love between a woman and a man!? – Zoran Andjelkovic, general secretary of the Serbian Socialist Party (SPS) sincerely concludes.
NS against the perverts
The New Serbia party is categorically against “such pervert marriages” as their speaker Dubravka Filipovski states it.
- We need to cherish the traditional family as a basic cell of the society, and I believe that the majority in Serbia is keen to this idea. Anyway, even the Serbian Orthodox Church is against the same-sex marriages and this is another important reason why NS is against it, she concludes.
In the end, Radical party member Aleksandar Vučić is against any form of violence against homosexuals but does not support gay and lesbian marriages and the idea of their adopting children.
- A family which is composed of a husband, wife and their children is the basic pole of any society, and that is something that needs to be cherished – Vučić stresses.
(D. I.)
