Our important story

The first Pride Parade in Belgrade, organised in 2001, was met with violence from rights-wing extremists and the police force unprepared to protect them. Following this first march, several attempts were made to organise another Pride march in Belgrade, but the political structures to enable the work were not in place, and the community was demotivated by resistance and violence.

A shift was happening, however, and human rights protections which included LGBTI+ people were gradually introduced into Serbian law. Pride Weeks have been organised annually in Belgrade since 2010, when the Pride March ended in a clash between 6,000 hooligans and 5,600 police officers, and without any major disruptions or incidents since 2014. We opened the first Pride Info Centre in 2017, an open and inclusive space which serves as a hub for social gatherings and creativity within the LGBTI+ community, and found its permanent home in 2018.

The Pride Parade overcame unconstitutional bans in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and is now a staple of Belgrade Pride. Encouraged by the progress of Belgrade Pride and the success of the Pride Info Centre, other community members across Serbia have decided to host their own LGBTI+ events, and LGBTI+ activists in the Western Balkans have increasingly come together to work across borders for the rights of LGBTI+ people in the region.

By hosting EuroPride in Belgrade, we hope to cause a positive change in the standing of LGBTI+ people in the Western Balkans, both politically and socially. Welcome to EuroPride in Belgrade!