Serbian gay right activists marched with their first openly lesbian prime minister through the streets of Belgrade on Sunday, amid tight security.<br /><br />Holding balloons and a banner reading “For change,” hundreds of participants gathered for the parade, which was was cordoned by riot police, while a helicopter flew low overhead.<br /><br />“Serbia respects diversity. My message today is that the Serbian government is here for all of its citizens … the people have the right to march,” Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said as marchers waved rainbow flags and blew whistles around her.<br /><br />Many approached Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, greeting her and taking selfies.<br /><br />Serbia’s Gay Prime Minister Marches in Belgrade Pride Parade for First Time as Extremist Groups Protest: WATCH https://t.co/AXgSZ3ZlCA pic.twitter.com/cEilcVBO6x— Towleroad (@tlrd) September 17, 2017<br /><br />Widespread homophobia<br /><br />Campaigners described the event as a test of the conservative Balkan state’s rights record as it seeks to join the European Union.<br /><br />The EU said in 2016 Serbia needed to do more to help minorities including Roma, disabled, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.<br /><br />Co-organiser Goran Miletic told reporters human rights had improved over the past decade. “We still have to work a lot more to make it even better,” he said.<br /><br />Seven years ago, hardline nationalists attacked people at the march, prompting authorities to cancel it until 2015.<br /><br />Homophobia remains widespread in Serbia and other societies in the Balkans.<br /><br />Just last week, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church last week compared homosexuality to paedophilia and incest.<br /><br />President Aleksandar Vucic, a former ultranationalist who has rebranded himself as a pro-Western reformer, said this week he had “no intention” of joining the march.<br /><br />Pride parades have largely passed without trouble in Serbia since 2015.<br />
