President of Serbia Alexander Vucic announced the cancellation of the event in September EuroPridebut its organizers immediately challenged this decision, justified by the “serious crisis” in Kosovostating that this large gathering of the LGBTI community will take place as planned.

“According to the majority of the government and the prime minister (…) the pride march, or whatever it is called, will be postponed or canceled as you please,” Vucitis said at a press conference.

“It’s just that at any given time we can’t handle all of this. Another time, in happier times,” the president added, explaining that Serbia is “under pressure” and faces “all sorts of problems.”

He mentioned mainly the new rise in tensions in Kosovo, a former Albanian-majority Serbian province that declared independence in 2008, which was never recognized by Belgrade, as well as problems related to the energy and food sectors.

“The march will take place as planned on September 17,” he said.

Although Serbia is one of the few countries where the prime minister, Ana Brnabitzopen gay, members of the LGBTI community still live in fear.

The first two pride marches in Belgrade, 2001 as well as 2010, were overshadowed by violent incidents between anti-gay protesters and law enforcement. The march is held regularly 2014but with a significant presence of class forces.

Holding hands remains alone taboo for same-sex couples in the country where almost 60% members of the LGBTI community say they have experienced physical or psychological abuse, according to a survey by human rights organizations IDEAS and GLICK.

Last year, LGBTI community associations hoped that parliament would pass a bill recognizing cohabitation agreementbut Aleksandar Vučić said that he would not sign such a law because the Constitution of Serbia “defines marriage as the legal union of a man and a woman.”

Demanding in 2012 that the authorities ban the pride march, the then head of the country’s most influential Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, called it a “march of shame.”