President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said that as long as he is president, he will not sign the law on same-sex marriages. According to him, signing such a law would create “a kind of third gender where you are neither man nor woman”.

Speaking to Pink TV on August 13, Vucic said that he has asked the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Bërnabiq, not to sign the same-sex marriage law as long as he is president, stressing that “Is my fault” that such a law has not been processed by the Serbian Government, Beta reports.

He added that the criticisms of the European Union should be directed at him and not at Bërnabiqi, who, according to Vucic, supports such a law.

Vucic said that Serbia is a country with a traditional society and that it doesn’t bother him if someone belongs to the LGBT+ community.

The adoption of the same-sex marriage law is one of the main demands of the LGBT+ community in Serbia.

This request has been repeated at every Pride Parade held in Belgrade since 2017, and similar laws have been passed by states in the region, namely Croatia and Montenegro.

The public debate on the draft law on same-sex unions ended in March 2021. According to the procedures, this draft law must be approved by the Government and then by the Assembly of Serbia. However, the law cannot enter into force without the signature of the state president.

The law is opposed by right-wing parties, the Serbian Orthodox Church and a section of society.