LGBT rights in Kosovo
| LGBT rights in Kosovo | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal since 1858 when part of the Ottoman Empire, again in 1994 as part of Yugoslavia. |
| Gender identity/expression | Transsexual persons allowed to change legal gender. |
| Military service | Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation protections (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
No recognition of same-sex couples |
| Adoption | Any single person allowed to adopt. |
With the adaption of the new constitution, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in Kosovo have been heavily improved on paper, making it one of the most liberal constitutions in the region and Europe, banning discrimination exclusively on 'sexual orientation'. However, the law enforcement on banning the discrimination based on sexual orientation remains weak.
The Government of Kosovo has been a supportive structure of the LGBT community in Kosovo. In late 2013, the parliament passed a bill to create a coordinating group for the LGBT community. Many politicians have voiced their support for the LGBT movement, including the former Prime Minister and current Minister of Foreign Affairs Hashim Thaçi,Prime Minister Isa Mustafa,Chairman of the Assembly of Kosovo Kadri Veseli, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Petrit Selimi,Vlora Çitaku,Mimoza Kusari-Lila and others.
Although no major LGBT event has been held in Kosovo so far, on 17 May 2014, well-known politicians, including the British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ian Cliff and local LGBT organizations like QESh and CEL took to the streets of Pristina to march against homophobia. The event was welcomed by the European Union office in Kosovo, and the government itself. A big LGBT flag covered the front side of the government building that night.
The Yugoslav Criminal Code of 1929 banned "lewdness against the order of nature" (anal intercourse) between human beings. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia also restricted the offense to same-sex anal intercourse, with a maximum sentence reduced from 2 to 1 year imprisonment in 1959.
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Wikipedia