A Huge Step in the Right Direction for Montenegro’s LGBT Community

Homosexuality in Montenegro still remains a very sensitive subject, as it does with most of the Balkan Regions, however, there is a deeper understanding that times are changing rapidly and more needs to be done to integrate everybody, including those from the LGBT community.

Homosexuality in Montenegro still remains a very sensitive subject, as it does with most of the Balkan Regions, however, there is a deeper understanding that times are changing rapidly and more needs to be done to integrate everybody, including those from the LGBT community.

Last year, Montenegro became the first Non-EU country to legalize same sex partnerships and in a historic move, the first same sex marriage took place last week in the Coastal resort of Budva. The union was between two women, both from abroad but with Montenegrin origins, and Milijana Jelusic who is a municipal official in Budva commented ‘We are glad that our Municipality was able to be the first to apply the Law on Life Partnership, and we wish happiness and a lot of love to the partners in their life together.

Narrowly supported, but supported all the same the government had a deadline of July 15th to approve the New Law and finalize the legislative framework which allows new couples to register the marriage in their local office, and the new law goes as far as allowing the regulation of financial support, division of joint property, social security and health cover for partners and family visits to hospitals or jails.

Certainly much more needs to be done both in Montenegro & the Balkans, as recognised by Tamara Srzentic (Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media), but it’s on the move and it’s a big step forward in the right direction.

Of the other ex Yugoslav countries in the region, only Croatia and Slovenia have the same law, although Serbia does have plans to introduce it shortly.

13.08.2021