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Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Thousands participated in Belgrade Pride in Serbia on Sept. 7
SERBIA
Thousands of people marched through the Serbian capital on Sept 7 in what organizers are calling the largest Belgrade Pride yet. The march went off peacefully under the protection of a heavy police presence, a marked contrast to previous years that have seen the march threatened or canceled due to violent anti-LGBTQ protestors.
This year’s Pride marchers were demanding that the government pass laws to expand LGBTQ rights, including a long-promised same-sex partnership law and a law to facilitate legal gender recognition.
The march route took participants past the Serbian parliament, where organizers read out a list of demands and an unidentified participant hung a rainbow flag from an office window.
“Politicians, with political will, could easily fulfill the demands. Of course, it is also important that these laws are then applied,” Goran Miletic, one of the Pride organizers, told media.
A civil union bill has been under discussion by the Serbian government since 2019, under former Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, who is openly lesbian. But after years of consultations, President Alexander Vucic announced in 2021 that he would veto the bill if it passed parliament. While consultations have continued, the bill has been effectively stalled since then.
Serbia is also required by the European Convention on Human Rights to provide some legal recognition to same-sex couples.
Serbian European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic attended the Pride event and told media that the government is still considering civil union legislation, though she offered no timeline to implement it.
“The issue is protecting the rights of various citizens, which must be equalized with the rights that we all have,” Miscevic told media at the event.
Belgrade Pride was first celebrated in 2001 with a march that was attacked by right-wing organizations, leaving more than 40 people injured. After several failed attempts to hold a second parade, the next Belgrade Pride was held in 2010, which led to street battles between police and anti-LGBTQ protestors, with more than 100 officers injured and more than 250 arrests. Pride was banned by authorities in 2011 and 2012, before being revived in 2014.
In 2022, Belgrade was due to host EuroPride, but authorities denied permits at the last minute, citing security concerns, and only a shortened march was held.
ALBANIA
A conservative member of the Albanian parliament is stirring up a homophobic controversy over a third grade language textbook that depicts a wizard in a rainbow robe on its cover.
The controversy was first kicked up by right-wing commentator Auron Kalaja, who posted the cover of the textbook “Gjuha Shqipe” on Instagram with a caption directing parents to “reject this book.”
“What is the meaning of the rainbow and its colors on the cover of the most beautiful subject?! Will this creature holding a magic wand change the children’s minds so that the latter ones change sex or … ?!” Kalaja wrote.
Tritan Shehu, an MP from the right-leaning Democratic Party, claimed that the textbook was an attempt by the government to “deform” children, in a Sept. 6 Facebook post.
“The cover of the official text of ‘Gjuha Shqipe’ for children is a cynical insult on children, their development, their future and their vision for life and family,” he writes. “A child appears there and on top of that a ‘man’ with a beard wearing a dress of ‘rainbow’ colors, dancing barefoot like a woman!!! Here we are not dealing with coincidences, but with a strategy of the regime, dangerous gender for sexual orientation in the new female age.”
While the comments have stirred up outrage in the predictable circles, the book’s publisher Albas backed the design in a statement, noting the book has been used in schools for eight years without any complaints from parents or educators.
Albas’ statement explains that both the rainbow and the wizard relate to stories contained in the textbook.
“The tendentious and discriminatory interpretations, the more they spread on social networks and in the media, the more they deepen the crisis we are going through as a society, damaging the mental health of children,” Albas’s statement reads.
GEORGIA
The government got one step closer to passing its draconian anti-LGBTQ “propaganda” law last week, as the bill secured passage at second reading in parliament. A final vote is scheduled for Sept. 17.
The ruling Georgian Dream party introduced the bill this summer, drawing swift condemnation from Western allies. Analysts believe the government is using the bill to foment division among the opposition ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for late October.
The bill, inspired by similar legislation passed by Russia in 2013, would ban any gathering, product, or educational program that “popularizes” LGBTQ people or identities, bans gender-related care for trans people and legal recognition of their gender, bans any legal recognition of same-sex couples, bans adoption by same-sex couples, and bans any marriage by non-heterosexual or non-cisgender people.
The passage at second reading was strongly condemned by the European Union in a statement.
“This package undermines the fundamental rights of Georgian people and risks further stigmatization and discrimination of part of the population,” the statement reads. “The EU calls on the Georgian authorities to entirely reconsider this legislative package.”
Georgian Dream has taken an increasingly authoritarian and anti-Western stance in recent years, positioning itself and its patron Russia as a bulwark against liberal and inclusive European values that it portrays as promoting LGBTQ rights.
This turn has come despite the public’s overwhelming support for EU membership, and the government’s stated goal of joining the bloc. The country was given candidate status last year, but recent anti-democratic actions have led the bloc to threaten to suspend its candidacy.
Earlier this year, Georgia passed a “foreign agents” bill, requiring any organization that receives funding from abroad to register as an agent of a foreign power or face stiff fines and sanctions. Critics said the law, also inspired by a similar Russian law, was an attempt to silence and discredit opposition groups, the media, and civil society organizations.
Several Eastern European countries have adopted or considered “LGBT propaganda” bills recently. Lithuania and Hungary both have laws banning promotion of LGBTQ issues to minors on the books, though Lithuania’s has been ruled in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. A similar bill has been proposed in Slovakia.
HONG KONG
NGOs serving the LGBTQ community have faced deep cutbacks in funding from the government over the past year, putting services and events the queer community relies on in jeopardy.
The Hong Kong Free Press reports that groups like Gay Harmony and PrideLab have had to cut back staff and resources in the wake of surprise cuts to grants they have received from the government.
That’s led the groups to cancel HIV awareness and outreach programs, and the annual Pride Market.
These groups had received money from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau’s Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) funding scheme since 1998. Between 2018-2023, CMAB had allocated funding to between 18 and 24 organizations, with a budget of HK$1.3 million (approximately $170,000). But for the current fiscal year, that’s dropped to 10 organizations from a budget of just under HK$700,000 (approximately $90,000).
Compounding the damage, the CMAC also allocates funds to three anti-LGBTQ organizations that promote conversion therapy — New Creation Association, Post Gay Alliance, and the Hong Kong Psychosexual Education Association.
Additionally, the city’s AIDS Trust Fund has also drastically reduced funding to LGBTQ organizations.
Hong Kong’s queer activists say this reflects an overall shift in attitudes from the city’s government.
While previously, the Equal Opportunities Commission attended LGBTQ events in support of the community, the EOC has announced it no longer considers it “suitable” to engage in activities in support of possible legislation on banning anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
The situation in Hong Kong has become complex for LGBTQ people, since Beijing has moved to exert greater control over the former British colony.
NGOs are reluctant to accept funds from foreign governments, lest they be branded a potential national security threat. Public demonstrations and Pride events have also become more difficult to plan and receive approval for.
France
Prominent French activist attacked outside Paris bar
Pierre Picavet hospitalized with internal bleeding, head injury
French prosecutors say a man shouted anti-gay slurs at a prominent activist before he attacked him in Paris on Saturday.
Media reports indicate Pierre Picavet, a police officer who is the president of FLAG!, a group within the French Justice and Interior Ministries that defends LGBTQ rights, was attacked as he left a bar in Paris’s Marais neighborhood.
The Marais since the 1980s has been center of the French capital’s LGBTQ community.
France 24 reported Picavet’s assailant struck him with a bottle. The attack left Picavet hospitalized with internal bleeding, a head wound, and other injuries.
“When I get better, when my wounds have healed, I will continue the fight,” Picavet told Radio France on Monday. “I am particularly shocked, but it tells me that there is still work to do.”
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire is among those who condemned the attack.
STOP Homophobia (STOP homophobie), a French group that fights against anti-LGBTQ violence, on its social media pages published a picture of Picavet in the hospital.
“As a long-standing partner of FLAG!, STOP Homophobia wishes to express its solidarity with Pierre Picavet, his loved ones, and the entire association,” said the group. “STOP Homophobia condemns this assault in the strongest possible terms and reiterates that anti-LGBT violence remains a reality — even in spaces where everyone should be able to move freely and live out their sexual orientation or gender identity without fear of attack.”
STOP Homophobia also praised a bystander who came to Picavet’s aid after the attack, and the first responders and law enforcement personnel who responded.
“STOP Homophobia extends its full support to Pierre, his family, his loved ones, and the entire FLAG! team, and wishes him a full recovery,” said the group.
Reports indicate the assailant, who was born in 2006, was scheduled to appear in a Paris court on Monday at 1:30 p.m. local time.
Poland
Poland begins to legally recognize same-sex marriages from other countries
‘This is an important milestone, but it should not be the final destination’
Poland has begun to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed outside the country.
TVP World, the country’s public broadcaster, reported civil registry offices began to “transcribe same-sex marriages legally” conducted outside of Poland on Aug. 22.
The EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg last November ruled in favor of a same-sex couple who challenged Poland’s refusal to recognize their German marriage. Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court in March reaffirmed the decision.
The couple, who lives in Poland, brought their case to Polish courts in 2019. The Supreme Administrative Court referred it to the EU Court of Justice.
The Polish government in May announced it will recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other EU countries. Polish President Karol Nawrocki on July 17 vetoed bills that would have extended rights to same-sex couples.
Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal a few days later rejected the recognition of same-sex marriages legally performed in other EU countries. The Love Does Not Exclude Association, a Polish marriage equality advocacy group, in an Aug. 26 press release notes the ruling “does not prevent implementation of these new regulations” because the Constitutional Tribunal is “largely discredited” and the government considers it “to be improperly constituted.”
“This is an important milestone, but it should not be the final destination,” said Maja Heban of the Love Does Not Exclude Association. “No couple should have to cross a border to marry. Our goal is allowing loving, committed couples to marry in Poland in the first place. The law now increasingly recognizes these marriages once couples return to Poland in areas such as healthcare and social security, but significant gaps remain, mainly lack of recognition of same-sex parents which directly impacts security of their children.”
Germany, Belgium, France, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal are among the EU countries in which same-sex couples can legally marry. Andorra, whose prime minister, Xaviet Espot Zamora, is openly gay, and Switzerland are among the other European nations that have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples.
The Netherlands in 2001 became the first country in the world to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. Activists who participated in this year’s World Pride that took place in Amsterdam earlier this summer marked this milestone.
Honduras
Realidad LGBTQ en Honduras: fuga o muerte
Observatorio KAI+: 35 asesinatos anti-LGBTQ en 2026
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Las cifras encienden todas las alarmas: 35 muertes violentas de personas LGBTQ, 195 casos de violencia generalizada y 11 personas asistidas para refugiarse en el extranjero. Las mujeres trans encabezan las víctimas mortales con 11 casos, seguidas de los hombres gay con 10.
Esa es la realidad de las poblaciones sexualmente diversas que pinta el boletín número 14 del Observatorio de Violencia hacia las Personas LGBTI+ de Honduras KAI+, correspondiente al período de enero al 8 de agosto de 2026.
Según el informe, los departamentos con mayor concentración de asesinatos son Francisco Morazán (12), Cortés (5) y Comayagua (4). Sin embargo, el dato más revelador de la impunidad es que los 35 casos permanecen en etapa de investigación preliminar, con apenas dos capturas reportadas.
«No queremos vivir con miedo»: defensores
Lucía Barrientos, de la Asociación Ixchel, resume el sentimiento colectivo. «Hoy las personas LGBTI en Honduras vivimos en estado de alerta. Muertes que, al hacer un análisis, tienen una conmoción de que muchas personas de nuestra población han sido torturadas, que han sido crímenes de odio», señala.
Barrientos subraya que en el país no hay una ley que tipifique el crimen de odio, lo que deja a la población en un limbo legal y expuesta a la violencia sin protección efectiva.
Entretanto, Jennifer Córdoba, de la Colectiva de Mujeres Trans Muñecas de Arcoíris, lamenta que las autoridades no estén haciendo nada para defender los derechos humanos.
«Ver ese tipo de violencias en el país que se incrementan, ver que las autoridades de nuestro país no están haciendo nada para la defensa de los derechos humanos, no crear una política pública que respete los derechos humanos de la población LGTBI», afirma Córdoba.
Violencia generalizada y discriminación sistemática
Los 195 casos de violencia generalizada incluyen amenazas (19), maltrato familiar (25), abuso de autoridad (14), discriminación por orientación sexual o identidad de género (14), lesiones (10) y agresiones sexuales. Las mujeres trans son nuevamente las más afectadas, con 32 casos registrados.
Dany Montesinos, de la Asociación LGBTI Kukulcán, advierte: «Esta es una violencia general, estructurada. No tenemos un patrón determinado. La alerta que estamos poniendo es que, en comparación con otros años, esto está siendo más creciente».
Un elemento crítico señalado por el boletín es que casi el 70 por ciento de los casos de violencia generalizada (137 de 195) carecen de categorización desagregada sobre la orientación sexual o identidad de género de la víctima, lo que evidencia la ausencia de protocolos adecuados por parte de las instituciones estatales y una invisibilización sistemática.
Migración forzada, huir para vivir
Entre los hallazgos más dolorosos está la asistencia a 11 personas LGBTQ que han buscado refugio en el extranjero. Ocho se han ido a Estados Unidos, dos a España y una al Reino Unido. Los motivos incluyen amenazas, discriminación, abuso de autoridad, agresiones sexuales y físicas.
Como señala un testimonio: «Tuvieron que irse, se vieron obligadas a huir por amenazas, por la discriminación, por el abuso de autoridad y agresiones sexuales. Estos datos nos muestran que la migración de las personas LGBTI no responde únicamente a razones económicas, sino a la necesidad urgente de proteger su vida y sus derechos».
Recomendaciones ante un Estado ausente
El boletín concluye con un llamado urgente al Estado hondureño. Exige fortalecer las investigaciones de muertes violentas e implementar políticas públicas de protección integral. Además, capacitar a funcionarios en diversidad sexual y derechos humanos y garantizar que los casos avancen más allá de la etapa preliminar.
Barrientos lo resume con claridad. «Exigimos al Estado respuestas inmediatas, justicia y protección real para nuestra población. No queremos retroceder, no queremos volver atrás, no queremos vivir con miedo, no queremos salir a la calle y saber que no puedo expresar mi amor hacia mi pareja o hacia otra persona porque puedo amar y ser muerta».
El Observatorio KAI+ recuerda que detrás de cada cifra hay seres humanos: madres, padres, hijos, hermanos y familias que dependen de ellos. La indiferencia institucional, advierten, no puede seguir siendo una puerta abierta a la impunidad.
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