Pristina, Kosovo. June 14, 2025.
Along George Bush Boulevard, in the heart of the capital, the late afternoon pulses with rhythmic bass. The National Library reflects rainbow colors as the steps at its base come alive with music for the ninth consecutive year. Finally, in 2025, Pride in Pristina has become a celebration—no longer just an angry cry for the freedom to be oneself.
Dozens of police officers surround the square, but today—as has been the case since 2023—even the government of Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, the President of the Republic, officially supports the event.
The path to LGBTQ+ recognition in Kosovo remains long. Twenty-nine percent face physical violence at home, 80% endure psychological abuse. Despite strong Islamic influences and a deeply patriarchal society, however, this small country has made more progress than many others in the Western Balkans.
So, what is the situation today in these countries, where ethnicities and religions mix and shift within just a few kilometers?
SLOVENIA
Not only was it the first country to declare independence from the former Yugoslavia, but this small neighbor of Italy was also the first to organize a Pride. The first edition dates back to 2001. Today, thousands participate, the event also takes place in Maribor and Koper, Adidas is a sponsor, and Ljubljana is undoubtedly the most gay-friendly city in the Balkans.
In addition to civil unions, same-sex marriage has been legal since 2022.
CROATIA
Zagreb’s Pride debuted just a year after Ljubljana’s, in 2002. Here, however, things did not take off with the same momentum: the first attempt saw violent attacks on participants.
The following years were no easier. Particularly in 2007, when the Zagreb march was attacked with Molotov cocktails, resulting in 14 arrests. And again in 2011 in Split, where the demonstration was halted after a crowd began throwing stones at protesters. Several local politicians supported the “freedom to protest” of those defending tradition.
Civil unions have been legal since 2014, and same-sex marriage since 2024.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
The green gem of the Western Balkans was the last country in the region to host a Pride.
The first edition took place only in 2019—a historic moment for the country, with around two thousand participants despite 72% of the population opposing the event.
Back in 2008, Sarajevo had organized the Queer Sarajevo Festival, which was canceled after violence from ultranationalist groups and Wahhabi extremists (a Sunni Islamic theological movement).
Although homosexuality was decriminalized in 1998, the government still does not support Pride today.
The situation is even more difficult in the Serb-majority Republika Srpska, with its capital Banja Luka, where the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church further complicates matters.
SERBIA
After the failed attempt in 2001, blocked by extremist attacks before it even began, Serbia had to wait until 2010 for its first Pride.
In Belgrade, a march of about 500 people quickly devolved into violent clashes between hooligans and police. Despite a deployment of over 5,000 officers, hundreds were injured. The march lasted just 15 minutes, but for Serbia, it was already a success.
The 2011 and 2012 editions were banned for security reasons. Only in 2014, with a massive police presence, was a Pride held without incident.
Strong nationalism, political ties to Russia, and opposition from the Orthodox Church make the situation highly complex even today.
In 2023, 86% of LGBTQ+ people hid their orientation at work. Seventy-three percent of Serbs would reject an LGBTQ+ child, while 80% oppose Pride.
That same year, 85 hate crimes were recorded—almost all went unpunished.
MONTENEGRO
The first Montenegrin Pride was held in 2013 in Budva but is remembered more for violence than anything else. Participation was low, and clashes with conservative groups and hooligans led to 60 arrests.
Historically homophobic due to the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in 2013, 71% of the population still considered homosexuality a disease.
In 2014, at the Podgorica Pride, protesters were again targeted with stones and bottles.
The battle bore fruit in 2021 with the legalization of civil unions.
By 2023, about 55% of the population supported Pride, but one in two LGBTQ+ people still reported rights violations. Unhelpful were statements from the Democratic Front and some religious leaders, who called Pride “a threat to Christian values.”
Among the Western Balkans, Montenegro remains the only non-EU country to have legalized civil unions.
ALBANIA
“Participants should be beaten with batons.” With these words, in 2015, Deputy Defense Minister Ekrem Spahiu commented on Albania’s first Pride in Tirana.
As early as 2010, Albania had passed one of the most advanced anti-discrimination laws in the Balkans, including sexual orientation and gender identity—but without recognizing same-sex unions.
However, these legislative changes did little to alter reality. In 2023, out of 412 reported discrimination cases, only 5 reached authorities.
2024 data remains alarming: 73% of Albanians reject same-sex marriage, 64% would not accept an LGBTQ+ child, while 30% of the community reports physical and psychological violence.
Outside the capital, safe spaces are scarce, and discrimination persists in healthcare, schools, and the workplace—especially for trans people. Eighty percent hide their professional identity.
Politicians like Adriatik Lapaj, the 36-year-old founder of the LSHB party, fuel tensions by calling LGBTQ+ families “an attack on tradition.”
NORTH MACEDONIA
The first attempt at a Pride in Skopje took place in 2013 but was canceled due to threats. It took another six years to succeed. The situation in this small republic in the southern Balkans has always been—and remains—highly complex. Between 2006 and 2017, under the conservative VMRO-DPMNE government, LGBTQ+ activists faced widespread violence. Their center in Skopje, especially between 2012 and 2014, was repeatedly attacked with swastikas and arson attempts.
By 2023, the situation improved, though the government still considers Pride “a threat to traditional values.”
Finally, the 2025 edition received official support from Skopje’s current mayor, Danela Arsovska.
The reality in the Western Balkans today remains deeply complex. Same-sex marriage exists only in Slovenia and Croatia—the only EU members. Civil unions, aside from those two, are legal only in Montenegro.
For trans people, it’s even worse: only Montenegro is discussing gender self-determination (2025), while elsewhere, forced sterilization is required.
The main obstacles are nationalism—still deeply rooted in these societies—and religion.
Many young LGBTQ+ people join the “brain drain” severely affecting the region.
Hope comes from the desire to join the EU, whose requirements include gender equality standards—potentially pushing some political parties to support the cause more strongly.
Read it in :
Italiano
