Holding pride parade in Belgrade again uncertain

BELGRADE, Sept 26 (Hina) - The organisation of a gay parade in Belgrade, set for 6 October, seems uncertain, amid the growing protests from some movements and individuals, while the right-wing movement called "Dveri" has sent a request to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic an open letter asking him to distance himself from the march for lesbian and gay rights.

This movement, that took part in the last general elections and won seats in local councils but did not make it to the national parliament, wrote in the open letter that Nikolic should side with citizens of Serbia who, it said, were against that parade in Belgrade.

The movement said that it was not for discrimination against homosexuals but that it did not want to have LGBT community activists in kindergartens, schools and as key office-holders.

Some of the parliamentarians openly oppose the pride parade and one of them is Dragan Markovic Palma, the leader of the United Serbia party, a member of the ruling coalition.

Last year, the gay pride march in Belgrade had been cancelled three days before it should have taken place in the Serbian capital. Ivica Dacic, the current Prime Minister who was then the interior minister, cited "security reasons" for the decision to ban the parade.

Last week, Dacic said that the organisation of the gay parade in Belgrade was a matter of security.