Serbian Church Bishop ‘Curses’ EuroPride, Calls For Armed Attacks On LGBT People
Image: Serbian Orthodox Bishop Nikanor Bogunović.
A Serbian Orthodox church bishop has faced criticism for appearing to target the country’s out gay Prime Minister and encouraging armed attacks on EuroPride 2022 in Belgrade.
Trigger Warning: This story discusses homophobic comments, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
Serbian Orthodox Church bishop Nikanor Bogunović of Banat said he would “curse” all the participants of EuroPride, which is scheduled to be held in Serbia’s capital city Belgrade in September 2023.
Balkan Insight reported that a video was posted on Youtube showing Bishop Nikanor standing in front of a church and railing against LGBTQI people and EuroPride.
Insults Directed At Serbia’s Gay PM
Bishop Nikanor calls for an armed struggle against the LGBTIQ+ population. He cursed all those who will participate in EuroPride in September in Belgrade and even stated that he would use weapons against the participants. This is what fascism looks like. pic.twitter.com/IR78jZG6LY
— Dan Reznik (@DanReznikWSWS) August 13, 2022
The Bishop, who has previously exhorted Christians to ignore COVID-19 restrictions to come to Church, said that EuroPride participants were planning to “come to Belgrade and flaunt and desecrate the city of Belgrade, the holy Serbian city.”
“I will curse all those who organise and participate in something like that,” Nikanor said. “I can do that much. If I had a weapon, I would use it, I would use that force if only I had it, but I do not.”
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić told local media that the Bishop’s insults were directed at the country’s first out lesbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.
“Bishop Nicanor insulted himself and our church, humiliated our church, much more than Ana Brnabić or anyone else ever did,” the President said.
Protests Against LGBT Community
Today in Belgrade 50,000 people to defend the traditional values of the family and to say no to Europride scheduled for September in Serbia. The European media will never show this manifestation. pic.twitter.com/Hbms8fJdgV
— RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) August 14, 2022
The Bishop’s call to violence led to large protests against the LGBTQ community and the Pride event.
Local media reported that between 5,000 to 10,000 protesters marched in front of the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarchate offices and the city streets shouting, “We don’t want a gay parade and occupation by the West!”, “We don’t give up holy places”, and “Keep your hands off our children”.
EuroPride organisers condemned the Bishop for inciting violence. “Nothing to see here, just a bishop inciting violence against LGBTI+ people. Whatever happened to those ‘Christian’ values of peace and love and understanding?” the organisation posted on social media.
Serbia decriminalised homosexuality in 1994, but gay marriages and adoptions by same-sex parents remain illegal. A 2020 survey by IDEAS and GLIC revealed that around 60 percent of LGBTQI people had reported physical and emotional abuse in the past year.
Serbia was placed at the 23rd position in ILGA-Europe’s raking of 49 countries in Europe with regard to LGBTQI rights.
